US (GA): Research center aims for more cost effective aquaponics
If you create an affordable system that not only grows tasty fish but also a variety of fresh produce using no soil and a fraction of the water of traditional farming, you could feed generations.
That’s the goal of the FORAM Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center (SARC) at Armstrong State University, a 4100-square-foot greenhouse on the north edge of the campus that contains four 900-gallon tanks swimming with tilapia and several “runways” bursting with Swiss chard, green onions and herbs. The air is swampy and smells of cilantro and basil, and the faint electrical hum can be heard throughout the clear domed building.
“These guys ought to be ready for harvesting soon,” says SARC director Dr. Brent Feske, pointing to one of the burbling tanks where a hundred or so fat fish swirl excitedly in advance of their morning feeding. “Each tank is in a different phase.”
“The problem with aquaponics is that it’s not cost effective yet,” says Dr. Feske, who also serves as associate dean of the College of Science and Technology. “Between the electricity bill and the fish food, farmers can’t sell enough to make a profit.”
That’s the issue SARC is tasked with solving. He and curator Dr. Heather Joesting are currently overseeing a slew of research projects on the economic viability of aquaponics, from reducing oxygen delivery pump use to exploring the idea of growing crickets, algae or other potential food sources to feed the fish.
“As far as oxygen circulation, we’re tracking growth and biomass to see if it’s necessary for plant growth,” says Dr. Joesting. “If it’s not, that could significantly cut down on the electrical costs of running the pump and make the process more efficient.”
Read more at Connect Savannah (Jessica Leigh Lebos)