Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density
As in any agroecosystem, also in aquaponics the nitrogen (N) balance represents an important tool to evaluate sustainability, and to identify factors that can improve N use efficiency (NUE) and reduce N losses. In this respect, fish stocking density has been little investigated, hence this research...
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doaj-0afc002dd9df4355a87f33dee2fa92eb2020-11-25T03:26:01ZengPAGEPress PublicationsItalian Journal of Agronomy1125-47182039-68052020-09-0115310.4081/ija.2020.1639Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking densityCarmelo Maucieri0Carlo Nicoletto1Giampaolo Zanin2Marco Birolo3Gerolamo Xiccato4Paolo Sambo5Maurizio Borin6Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD)Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of PadovaDepartment of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD)Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD)Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD)Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD)Department of Agronomy Food Natural resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Legnaro (PD) As in any agroecosystem, also in aquaponics the nitrogen (N) balance represents an important tool to evaluate sustainability, and to identify factors that can improve N use efficiency (NUE) and reduce N losses. In this respect, fish stocking density has been little investigated, hence this research aimed to evaluate the N balance of a low technology aquaponic (AP) system managed at two fish densities in comparison with a hydroponic system (HP). In the fish tanks common carp at two initial stocking densities were reared (2.5 and 4.6 kg m–3 in low and high AP, hereafter named APL and APH, respectively) and the vegetated sector was cultivated with a leafy vegetable crop succession (Catalogna chicory, lettuce, Swiss chard). The N balance considered N input as fish feed or fertiliser, and N content in the initial water and the N output as N in the incremented fish biomass, in the harvested vegetables, in the sediments, and in the remaining water. Total N loss was estimated by difference. The total N input and the N loss through gas emission in the atmosphere were much higher in AP than in HP, particularly at high stocking density. The opposite trend was observed for the N input recovered in vegetable aboveground biomass. The N input recovered as fish biomass was slightly higher in APL compared to APH. The better results of APL than APH suggest that in low-tech AP system lower initial fish density should be adopted at the system start up to maximise both production and N recovery. https://agronomy.it/index.php/agro/article/view/1639Nitrogen budgetsaquaponicshydroponicsstocking densityCyprinus carpioCichorium intybus |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Carmelo Maucieri Carlo Nicoletto Giampaolo Zanin Marco Birolo Gerolamo Xiccato Paolo Sambo Maurizio Borin |
spellingShingle |
Carmelo Maucieri Carlo Nicoletto Giampaolo Zanin Marco Birolo Gerolamo Xiccato Paolo Sambo Maurizio Borin Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density Italian Journal of Agronomy Nitrogen budgets aquaponics hydroponics stocking density Cyprinus carpio Cichorium intybus |
author_facet |
Carmelo Maucieri Carlo Nicoletto Giampaolo Zanin Marco Birolo Gerolamo Xiccato Paolo Sambo Maurizio Borin |
author_sort |
Carmelo Maucieri |
title |
Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
title_short |
Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
title_full |
Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
title_fullStr |
Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
title_full_unstemmed |
Nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
title_sort |
nitrogen budget in recirculating aquaponic systems with different fish stocking density |
publisher |
PAGEPress Publications |
series |
Italian Journal of Agronomy |
issn |
1125-4718 2039-6805 |
publishDate |
2020-09-01 |
description |
As in any agroecosystem, also in aquaponics the nitrogen (N) balance represents an important tool to evaluate sustainability, and to identify factors that can improve N use efficiency (NUE) and reduce N losses. In this respect, fish stocking density has been little investigated, hence this research aimed to evaluate the N balance of a low technology aquaponic (AP) system managed at two fish densities in comparison with a hydroponic system (HP). In the fish tanks common carp at two initial stocking densities were reared (2.5 and 4.6 kg m–3 in low and high AP, hereafter named APL and APH, respectively) and the vegetated sector was cultivated with a leafy vegetable crop succession (Catalogna chicory, lettuce, Swiss chard). The N balance considered N input as fish feed or fertiliser, and N content in the initial water and the N output as N in the incremented fish biomass, in the harvested vegetables, in the sediments, and in the remaining water. Total N loss was estimated by difference. The total N input and the N loss through gas emission in the atmosphere were much higher in AP than in HP, particularly at high stocking density. The opposite trend was observed for the N input recovered in vegetable aboveground biomass. The N input recovered as fish biomass was slightly higher in APL compared to APH. The better results of APL than APH suggest that in low-tech AP system lower initial fish density should be adopted at the system start up to maximise both production and N recovery.
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topic |
Nitrogen budgets aquaponics hydroponics stocking density Cyprinus carpio Cichorium intybus |
url |
https://agronomy.it/index.php/agro/article/view/1639 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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