About Aquaponics Futurist in NARDC, Palakkad

Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (farming fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil).

We are also interested in permaculture techniques and all other family farming and backyard agriculture efforts..

Two of our societies problems...

1. Modern day animal husbandry produces waste
2. Modern day agriculture imports nutrients

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics is the cultivation of fish and plants together in a constructed, re-circulating ecosystem utilizing natural bacterial cycles to convert fish wastes to plant nutrients.

This is an environmentally-friendly, natural food growing method that harnesses the best attributes of aquaculture and hydroponics without the need to discard any water or filtrate or add chemical fertilizers.

What is Hydroponics?

Hydroponics has problems of its own -
Traditional hydroponic systems rely on the careful application of expensive, man-made nutrients made from mixing together a concoction of chemicals, salts and trace elements. In aquaponics you merely feed your fish inexpensive fish feed, food scraps, and food you grow yourself.

The strength of this mixture needs to be carefully monitored, along with pH, using expensive meters.In aquaponics you carefully monitor your system during the first month, but once your system is established you only need to check pH and ammonia levels occassionally or if your plants or fish seem stressed.

Water in hydroponic systems needs to be discharged periodically, as the salts and chemicals build up in the water which becomes toxic to the plants. This is both inconvenient and problematic as the disposal location of this waste water needs to be carefully considered. In aquaponics you NEVER replace your water; you only top it off as it evaporates.

Hydroponic systems are prone to a disease called "pythium" or root rot. This disease is virtually non-existant in aquaponics systems.

What is Aquaculture?

The problem with recirculating aquaculture -
The tank water becomes polluted with fish effluent which gives off high concentrations of ammonia. Water has to be discharged at a rate of 10-20% of the total volume in the tank daily. This uses a tremendous amount of water. Again, in an aquaponics system you never need to discharge your water.

This water is often pumped into open streams where it pollutes and destroys waterways.
Because of this unhealthy environment fish are prone to disease and are often treated with medicines, including antibiotics. Fish disease is rare in an aquaponics system.

NARDC focuses on Aquaponics in India - farming, training, systems, and supplies.

Email: nardckerala@gmail.com