Information - Aquaponic Crops

Aquaponic Crops

Lettuce

(Lactuca sativa) is of the daisy family Asteraceae, with numerous cultivars ranging from cos/romaine, to iceberg, loose leaf, to Chinese lettuce and many more. Every variety of lettuce species can be grown effectively and efficiently in an aquaponics system. Plants every 10cm for loose leaf and 15-20cm for head varieties. Quick, easy and high value crops to grow, a great option for commercial growers and backyard enthusiasts alike.

Watercress

(Nasturtium officinale) is a member of the Family Brassicaceae or cabbage family. Watercress is a fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic plants, and one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings. A tangy peppery crop, with a high commercial value. In aquaponic systems, watercress can be grown either as a floating mat in DWC culture or as seen here, rooted into Rockwool and grown in pots on floating rafts.

Basil

(Ocimum basilicum) is of the Family Lamiaceae. Originally native to Iran, India and other tropical regions of Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. There are many varieties of basil, that which is used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil or holy basil, which are used in Asia.

Mint

Mentha is a genus of about 25 species in the family Lamiaceae. The most common and popular mints for cultivation are peppermint (Mentha piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and more recently, apple mint (Mentha suaveolens). Mint has been proven to be a good companion plant, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones.

Wheatgrass

(Triticum aestivum), wheatgrass refers to the young grass of the common wheat plant. The plant is freshly juiced or dried into powder for animal and human consumption. Both provide chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Claims about wheatgrass' health benefits range from providing supplemental nutrition to having unique curative properties. Indoor grown wheatgrass grows from 8-14 days before it is harvested.

Various other herbs

Aquaponics systems are ideally suited to growing a diverse and constant supply of herbs, just some of the many potential crops pictured here with marjoram, chives, lemon balm, oregano, sage, parsley, spearmint, dill and many more such as coriander and flat leaf parsley.

Tomatoes

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a herbaceous, usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. They are close cousins to tobacco, chilli peppers, and eggplant. The plant is a perennial and often grown outdoors in temperate climates as an annual. According to FAOSTAT , 125 million tonnes of tomatoes where commercially produced in 2005.

Peppers and Chillies

The bell pepper is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum The colour can be green, red, yellow, orange and, more rarely, white, purple, blue, and brown, depending on when they are harvested and the specific cultivar. Green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than red, yellow or orange peppers. The taste of ripe peppers can also vary with growing conditions and post-harvest storage treatment; the sweetest are fruit allowed to ripen fully on the plant in full sunshine, while fruit harvested green and after-ripened in storage are less sweet.

Cucumbers

Like tomatoes the fact that cucumbers have an enclosed seeds and develop from a flower, they are scientifically classified as fruits. The plant (Cucumis sativus) is a creeping vine that grows laterally or on supports and produces elongated cylindrical fruit which is normally eaten fresh. Cumbers make a great aquaponic crop but have the ca- pacity to absorb relatively high quantities of nutrients.

Melons

Melon is a name given to various members of the Cucurbitaceae fam- ily with fleshy fruit. Melon can refer to either the plant or the fruit, which is a false berry. Many different cultivars have been produced, particularly of muskmelons. The plant grows as a vine. Although the melon is a fruit, some varieties may be considered "culinary vegeta- bles". Like cucumbers melon plants have the potential to absorb high levels of nutrients from an aquaponics system.

Strawberries

Strawberries are from the species Fragaria and belongs to the family Rosaceae. Technically, they are not fruit but false fruit. The Garden Strawberry was first bred in Europe in the early 18th century via an accidental cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America, which was noted for its flavour, and Fragaria chiloensis from Chile, which was noted for its large size. Strawberries make an ideal aq- uaponic and hydroponic crop with high potential yields

Flowers

A wide variety of flowers can be grown in an aquaponics system, both as a form of companion planting using marigolds etc or for medicinal purposes such as Camomile, Echinacea etc or to simply to provide a supply of cut flowers. Why not try experimenting with trailing flowers such as lobelia and petunias in vertical towers for a vibrant column of colour.

Fish for Food

Trout

The brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) provide an ideal coldwater aquaponics species. The brown trout is the UKÕs indigenous trout species whilst the rainbow origi- nates in North America. Trout are renowned for their good quality as an eating fish with opportunities for value adding through hot of cold smoking.

Tilapia

The tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) is a warm water cichlid species, now widely cultured across the world as a popular food fish. Tilapia are an ideal aquaponic species due to their robust, omnivorous, fast growing nature. Their optimal range is 25- 28oC although growth is compromised at temperatures below 20oC down to a lower lethal limit of around 15oC.

Edible Carp Species

There are a wide variety of carp species many of which have been domesticated and grown as food fish right across the world for thousands of years. The Cyprinid family ranges from the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) which originated in central Europe to a group of species known as Asian or Indian carp including the mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosus) and rohu (Labeo rohita). The range of carp species are as diverse as their feeding habits, making them ideal for polyculture systems where different species are stocked to- gether that complement their position in the food web.

Ornamental fish

Koi Carp

Koi or more specifically nishikigoi are ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) that are commonly kept for decorative purposes in outdoor ponds and water gardens. They are sometimes also called Japanese carp.

Koi were developed from common carp in Japan in the 1820s, and are still very popular there as they are a symbol of love and friendship. Many different colours and colour patterns have since been developed; common colours include white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream.

Goldfish

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were one of the earliest breeds of fish to be domesticated and are still one of the most commonly kept fish in aquariums and outdoor water gardens.

In China over 1,000 years ago goldfish were selectively breed from colour mutations in the Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), a dark greyish brown carp native to Asia and the two are now considered separate species. Due to constant selective breeding, goldfish have been developed into many distinct breeds and are now found in various colours, colour patterns, forms and sizes far different from those of the original domesticated carp.

Applications | Methods | Crops