integrated aquaculture, hydroponics and vermiculture for rooftop food production - central...

8/9/2019 Integrated aquaculture, hydroponics and vermiculture for Rooftop Food Production - Central Queensland University

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Integrated aquaculture,hydroponics and

vermiculture for foodproduction rooftops?

David J Midmore and Brett Roe

Centre for Plant and Water Science,Central Queensland University


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Outline of Presentation

Arguments for recycling/urban/rooftop agriculture Earlier research, hydroponics, aquaponics,

vermiculture

Current theory and nutrient loops

Nutrient budgets and transfer

Hydroponicsfeed from liquor and fisheffluent

Fish. feed from worms

Vermiculture... feed from organic waste

Bring it all together

Logistics and future project


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Why promote urban agriculture?

Upward trends in urbanisation, 60% world

population by 2020 Imperatives differ in developed and developing

countries Food security in developing countries


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Perceived benefits of urban

agriculture in developed countries Offset heat islands in cities - open space-greenery

Recycling organic materials close at hand

Closing nutrient cycles/loops

Re-use of waste water Social/healthy activity

Food security Health and environmental risks


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Some simple rooftop hydroponics


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Commercialised seedling production in Hanoifor rooftop hydroponics


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Jan Hollands Honours project on

aquaponics - CQU


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Aquaponics System Design

Dr Brett Roe, CQU


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USA - Aquaranch


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USA - Growing Power


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USA Growing Power


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Plants from Ecocity (NSW) and from rooftop simplified

hydroponics (Canada)


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Some realities

In nature nutrients cycle between soil, plants,animals and microbes, but human interference

through the need to feed urban populations breaks

this cycle.

Nutrients contained within urban organic wastes

rarely re-enter the nutrient cycle, yet theyrepresent a valuable resource for food production.

Recycling organic wastes via vermiculture,aquaculture and hydroponics offers one way to

recycle some of the nutrients (and water).


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Hydroponics

Nutrient

Nutrient Loops


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Fish

Nutrient

Nutrient Loops


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Fish

Hydroponics

Effluent NutrientSupplements

Water

Nutrient Loops


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Consumption

Consumption

Fish

Hydroponics


Water

Nutrient Loops


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Vermiculture

Consumption

Organic

wastes

Organicwastes

Fish

Hydroponics

Consumption


Water

Nutrient Loops


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Nutrient Loops

Vermiculture

Consumption

Organic

wastes

Organicwastes

Fish

Hydroponics

Worms

Liquor

Consumption


Water


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Matching nutrient supply and

demand

Getting nutrients balanced not so

easy as it may appear.

The Holy Grail according to

Aquaponics Journal, 2006

F H d i


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For Hydroponics

Vermicompost

(ppm) % ppm ppm ppm ppm ppm

N 215.00 29.80 0.5-1.5 *1000 29500 30700 37000.00 33800

P 37.00 0.50 0.01-0.3*1000 10900 19700 15000 9700

K 218.00 30.20 0.1-0.6*1000 20900 18400 23000 21000Ca 152.00 21.10 22.7-47.6 753 636 600 660

Mg 42.00 0.60 22.7-47.6 149 153 165 255

S 54.00 0.70 128-548 23 29 28 16

Fe 4.08 0.06 2-9 69 93 70 42Mn 0.96


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Linking supply from aquaponics and fromhydroponics data of Savidov et al. 2007

Linking supply from aquaponics and from


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Linking supply from aquaponics and fromhydroponics data of Savidov et al. 2007

Nit t t i t ith l tt


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Nitrate present in water with lettuce

and silver perch aquaponics

Holland, J. 2002.


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Aquaponic system recovery rates (%) for N

Fish Plants Water

Holland (2002) 37 17 34Quillere et al. (1995) 18-32 8.5-31 15

Seagateet al

. (1998) 42-47 8-67 0-37Roe (2005) 36.9 62.1 0.1


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For Fish

Source: 1 Edwards, C.A. et al. 1985; 2 Dynes, R. 2003; 3 Fisher, C 1988.

Fish food Earthworm Earthworm Earthworm

% meal1

% meal2

% meal3

%

Gross protein 28-50 60-70 52-63 67-76Essential polyunsaturated 6-10 oil 7-10 14.5-15.5 5-13

fattyacids of omega-3 series 70 fatty acids

Minerals Ca, P, Na, Mg, K Cl, S 2-4 2.3 5-24

and traces of othersTen essential amino acids

Eleven water/fat soluble vitamins

F E th


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For Earthworms

Composition by dry weight, %

Source: Aranda, E. et al. 1999

Conversion ratio (worm wt:waste wt) of up to 1:10 from a low of 1:50

N P K Ca Mg S

Tobacco stems 1.5 0.2 4.2 3.6 0.3 0.4

Soybean meal 7.0 0.5 1.3 0.4 0.3 0.2

Fish scraps 9.5 2.6 - 6.1 0.3 0.2

Bone meal 3.5 19.8 - 22.5 0.6 0.2

Generic plant min 1.2 0.01 0.1 0.04 0.07 0.06

Generic plant max 7.5 1.0 7.0 1.5 0.9 0.9


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For Earthworms (enhanced)

Double protein input (16 to 33.5 g/100g)

15-20% increase in worm protein, double Ca, P, lessZn Mn

50% increase in vermicompost N (2.4 to 3.3% N)

Add tuna oil

no effect on total fat

change proportions, but not of polyunsaturated

Source: Dynes, R. 2003

Probable imbalances between


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Probable imbalances between

nutrient elements Constant monitoring of elements required, or

Algorithms for input:output ratios based uponempirical data

Some examples of successful aquaponics, but notlinked to vermiculture, small room for error

A research focus for CQU, over next couple of

years

Further logistics of rooftop


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Further logistics of rooftop

aquaponics and vermiculture Inputs - Where, Which, When, What, How much?

Biological, chemical, legislative, health. Spatial logistics

In second and third year of the project

URBANVERMICULTURE


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ORGANIC

WASTES

VERMICULTURE

Liquors

Worms

Worm Castings

OutputOutpu:

Input

ROOFTOP

HYDROPONICS

AQUACULTURE

H O2 H O2H O2

Organicwastereturn

Direct and Value AddedCommercial Distributionof Fish and VegetableProducts

H O

return

2

Systemwaste

Output

Positively impacting theobesity problem Australiafaces by interjecting healthy

food products for direct saleto city dwellers.

Reducing urban heatisland effects via theshade produced by thick

rooftop foliage andtranspiration.

Reducing organic wasteproduction and subsequentlandfill disposal, thereby

reducing methane productionand landfill growth.

Reducing Australiandependence on wild andimported sources of fish protein

and oil and on cultivated foodswhich accrue a significantecological foot-print.


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Conclusions

Components function well alone, and

hydroponics could adapt to flat roofs Vermiculture requires homogeneous supply of

organic matter, and space to act

Aquaculture will likely be a small component of

the system, due to large requirement for space per

kg fish, and slow growth rates (relative todemand)


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Acknowledgements

Mr Geoff Wilson for his enthusiasm for rooftop

solutions Industrial partners and RIRDC who have

confidence in us to deliver commercial outcomes

integrated aquaculture, hydroponics and vermiculture for rooftop food production - central...

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