“Optimizing Aquaponics Through Nutrient Mass Balance and Anaerobic Phosphorus Mineralization” from @Pierre_Foucard is the Monthly Public Aquaponics Webinar for November!
The Webinar is TOMORROW, Weds Nov 17, at 10am Eastern US time. Click here to Register.
Pierre will discuss 2 topics:
Part 1: A mass balance approach was performed on a pilot scale “decoupled” aquaponics system in order to define the inflows and outflows and assess the fate of N-P-K nutrients on a 20m3 rainbow trout RAS aquaculture coupled with a 80m² raft cultivation system. At the same time, a wide varieties of plants have been cultivated both to acquire yield and quality data, but also N-P-K bioremediation efficiency data. 90-100% of P compounds bioremediation is made possible by aquaponics, for only 60 to 80% of nitrogen compounds, showing that there is a need to establish a better N/P ratio to make aquaponics more efficient in terms of bioremediation.
Part 2: When we seek to size an aquaponics system, phosphorus is often limiting : for 100% of phosphorus consumed by plants, we rarely exceed 60 to 80% of the nitrogen. Sludges produced in RAS aquaculture system are rich in phosphorus, which justifies the interest of working on a solution to go further in the P valorization. We applied an innovative method for treating sludges with a fermentation process involving a bioacidification allowing a drop to pH 4-4,5, making good conditions to dissolve organic phosphorus in high concentrations in a very short time. This opens the door to restore the N-P ratio in aquaponics and improve its bioremediation potential.