Abstract
ABSTRACT This study had as objective to evaluate the effect of the substrate on the yield of lettuce grown in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. The study was conducted at the Federal University of Grande Dourados, located in Dourados, MS. A randomized complete block design was used, with three treatments and 16 replicates. The cultivation systems were analyzed independently. The substrates analyzed were: coconut shell fiber, phenolic foam and expanded vermiculite. The plants were grown in two systems (aquaponic and hydroponic), using the NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system. The crop used was lettuce cv. ‘Alcione’. The parameters analyzed were: crop yield and percentage of roots per plant. In addition, macronutrient contents were analyzed in the leaves. The substrate composed of coconut shell fiber was more suitable for lettuce production, since it led to higher yields for both aquaponic (2.88 kg m-2) and hydroponic (2.58 kg m-2) systems. The use of phenolic foam as growing substrate led to lower mean crop yields in both production systems analyzed, 1.94 and 2.15 kg m-2 for aquaponic and hydroponic systems, respectively.
Highlights
The term aquaponics refers to a set of technologies that integrate fish farming and plant cultivation in a symbiotic system (Goddek et al, 2016)
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of substrate on the yield of lettuce grown in aquaponic and hydroponic systems
The substrate composed of coconut shell fiber led to highest mean values, in both aquaponic (2.88 kg m-2) and hydroponic (2.58 kg m-2) systems
Summary
The term aquaponics refers to a set of technologies that integrate fish farming and plant cultivation in a symbiotic system (Goddek et al, 2016). Regarding the substrates used in soilless cultivation systems (hydroponics and aquaponics), they provide support to the plants and act as a small reservoir of nutrients. In the cultivation in aquaponic system, substrates must have a fixing surface for microorganisms, responsible for converting nutrients to forms readily available to plants (Jordan et al, 2018). In some countries such as United States, Australia and in the European continent, the aquaponic technique is widely employed on the most different scales, from research units and small properties to large commercial units (Love et al, 2015). Studies have been carried out aiming to adapt the system to the national conditions (Hundley et al, 2013; Geisenhoff et al, 2016; Jordan et al, 2018)
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