Currently, aquaculture is facing pressure from competing with agriculture, livestock farming, industry, and tourism for water usage. Additionally, it is pressured by untreated wastewater generation, which has led to eutrophication and water contamination. To address these challenges, aquaponic systems have been implemented to integrate animal and plant production, facilitating water and waste reuse, optimizing infrastructure, and reutilizing nutrients. This project focuses on advancing mineralization processes to transform wastewater into valuable nutrients that support agricultural cultivation. Mineralization involves converting complex compounds, such as proteins, into essential agricultural nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. These nutrients are crucial for promoting agricultural growth and have shown promise in effectively reducing residual solids in wastewater.
The study aimed to explore a variety of nutrient mineralization methods designed to improve the recovery and utilization of nutrients in decoupled aquaponics systems. Through two separate experiments, we sought to assess how different types of effluent would impact the growth of basil (Ocimum basilicum), Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) (Fig. 1), pak choi (Brassica rapa), and red kale (Brassica oleracea). Specifically, we investigated the effects of aerobically mineralized Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) effluent, Biofloc Technology (BFT), and filtered BFT effluent supplemented with vermicompost leachate (BIOLIX). Twelve floating root hydroponic units with water recirculation were used for plant cultivation at CIBNOR in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The research findings unveiled that the plants that grew in mineralized RAS effluent and BFT effluent, especially when combined with vermicompost leachate, demonstrated growth rates comparable to those nurtured with a standard Hoagland nutrient solution. This underlines the importance of the study’s findings and the promising potential of nutrient mineralization strategies, particularly the synergistic application of BFT and vermicompost leachate, in promoting effective nutrient management and sustainable food production in decoupled aquaponics systems.