Aquaponics 101: Farming Without Soil
Aquaponics has been somewhat of a buzz word in the world of sustainability as of late, but some of us may not be all that familiar with the word.
What exactly is Aquaponics?
A system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water.
Aquaponics is establishing a system for farming fish and plants together in a mutually beneficial cycle. The fish live and produce waste that turns into nitrates and ammonia. This is not beneficial for the fish if left unchecked however this waste is great fertilizer. In return the plants clean and filter the water that goes back to the fish. This is of course a overly simple summary of the complex cycles that take place in this ecosystem.
A meeting of minds between aquaculture and gardening.
Aquaponics have become more popular of late because it carries with it some possibly large implications on organic crop production and water consumption.
According to this National Geographic article, of the amount of freshwater that is available for human use 70% of that goes towards farming (growing food and raising animals).
Water consumption or conservation rather is the number one benefit from the system. Research has shown that aquaponics use about 1/10th of the water that would be used in a soil garden.
Another benefit is that the plants grow fast because of the very available resources. Climate could also be strictly controlled in an indoor facility.
As time goes by we will certainly have to get more efficient with using space and water consumption if we are going to satisfy the growing demands of the world. Aquaponics is just one technology that has been gaining more steam as of late and it will be interesting to see how wide spread the technology becomes.
And if you are interested in making your own aquaponic setup here is a DIY guideline I found online!