Israeli Researchers Create New Aquaponics System to Boost Food Production
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel have developed a groundbreaking aquaponics system that promises to revolutionize sustainable food production while minimizing environmental impact. Aquaponics combines fish farming with hydroponic vegetable cultivation, creating a symbiotic environment where fish waste nourishes plants.
In traditional aquaponics, fish are raised in tanks, and the water containing their waste is circulated to the plants. The plants absorb the nutrients from the fish waste, effectively filtering the water, which is then recirculated back to the fish tanks. However, the team at Ben-Gurion University has taken this a step further.
Their closed-loop system not only reuses the effluent but also treats fish solid waste through anaerobic digestion. This process, which involves microorganisms breaking down organic material in the absence of oxygen, recovers energy and nutrients, resulting in a near-zero waste unit.
Professor Amit Gross, the director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at BGU’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, stated, “In terms of vegetable production, we increased it by over two and I believe that it can be doubled nearly very soon.”
After more than two years of testing, the system achieved 1.6 times higher plant productivity per unit area, used 2.1 times less water, and consumed 16% less energy per kilogram of feed compared to conventional aquaponic systems. Gross’s calculations suggest that scaling the system to produce about one ton of fish could eliminate the need for external energy, require less than 1% water exchange, and produce negligible waste.
While aquaponics isn’t primarily designed to capture carbon dioxide, the Israeli system contributes to carbon sequestration due to the smaller carbon footprint of fish and the energy efficiency of the process. Gross concluded, “Combining fish growth with vegetable production and preventing waste is a win-win.”
The research and proof of concept were recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling.
Doubts Revealed
Israeli Researchers -: These are scientists from Israel, a country in the Middle East, who study and create new things.
Aquaponics System -: This is a way to grow plants and fish together. The fish waste helps the plants grow, and the plants clean the water for the fish.
Ben-Gurion University -: This is a big school in Israel where people go to learn and do research.
Hydroponic -: This is a way to grow plants without soil, using water with nutrients instead.
Anaerobic Digestion -: This is a process where bacteria break down waste without using oxygen, turning it into useful stuff like fertilizer.
Near-zero waste unit -: This means the system produces very little waste, almost none.
Plant productivity -: This is how much food or plants you can grow in a certain amount of time.
Sustainable food production -: This means growing food in a way that is good for the environment and can be done for a long time without causing harm.
Environmental impact -: This is how much something affects the environment, like the air, water, and land around us.