Progress report for SPDP22-15
Project Information
Aquaponics, the integration of hydroponics and aquaculture, is an ancient concept that, in the last 30 years, has become a viable production method that is gaining interest. This method of sustainable agriculture is gaining momentum due to its potential for water conservation, accessibility for urban agriculture, and viability as a solution for coastal farmland with salt inundation. Many educators across the land grant system and supporting governmental and non-governmental organizations receive questions regarding utilizing aquaponics systems to grow produce and fish for local markets. Since aquaponic systems are relatively new, and there are few experts in the field, educators may not have the practical experience with these systems necessary to advise their grower clients. Questions often arise about how these systems work, including designing, building, and maintaining the system, food safety best practices, and the costs associated with these systems. This project aims to create an online/in-person hybrid training for educators who work with growers across the Southern Region of the US. This training will provide these educators with a basic working knowledge of an aquaponics system and how to safely harvest fish and produce from the system to ensure a safe food supply for consumers. The knowledge gained will prepare these educators to consult growers on whether an aquaponics system is feasible for their operation.
The project goal is to develop a hybrid online and in-person training program for educators to learn the fundamentals and best practices of working with an aquaponics production system. This training will enable educators to introduce aquaponics as a sustainable technology for food production to small agricultural business entrepreneurs and homeowners, demonstrate the essential system components, examine production and financial management strategies, and convey food safety best practices to implement during the production and harvest of fish and produce. The training material will be accessible online for other land grant universities, colleges, secondary education, USDA agencies, and other government and non-government organizations to utilize.
The specific objective includes: 1) developing learning modules covering introductory material, system components, operational management, harvesting, food safety protocols, and business/marketing strategies; 2) formating the modules to consist of PowerPoint presentations, videos, interactive activities, quizzes, and other online material essential to exploring all aspects of aquaponics; and 3) finishing the training course with a visit to the aquaponics greenhouse or mobile unit for a hands-on field day to explore operational systems and practice concepts learned in the online course.
Education
The educational initiation of the project began with the development of short PowerPoint presentations or modules containing information about aquaponics. The presentations included: an introduction module, individual system components, fish and plant selection, food handling and safety, and economic attributes. The introduction module contains information establishing a basic understanding of aquaponics and its difference from hydroponics. This gives a basic knowledge of aquaponics' complexity but illustrates its efficiency compared to hydroponics. For system components, the modules cover topics including the fish tank, mechanical and biological filtration, water circulation, and aeration needed to provide oxygen to the system. These modules offer advice on selecting different components according to an individual's choice in management schemes. It is essential to make these selections so that operation is efficient and maintenance is minimal.
The next set of modules establishes operational procedures, fish and plant selection, water quality, and plant management techniques. The module containing operating processes is vital to the overall success of the aquaponics system. Understanding the complexity of the biological activity in the system is crucial for the water quality to be maintained at the highest quality. The module on selecting fish and plant species is also essential to the system's success. Fish species are diverse; each has characteristics that need to be evaluated for complexity by the system operator. In contrast, the selection of plants is based solely on the type of vegetables desired by the operator. The choices of vegetables can be diverse due to the dynamic nature of the aquaponics unit. The module on water quality helps guide the operator through a series of management objectives to maintain high water quality standards for fish and plants. Understanding water quality in an aquaponics system is also valuable for making decisions on adding nutrients, allowing the system to be continuously productive. The plant management module contains information on plant health and avoiding pests and diseases that could ruin a harvest of vegetables. Understanding plant health and identifying deficiencies in nutrient balances help adjust water quality so the plants can receive desired nutrients.
The food safety module offers information on the risks of handling and processing food grown in an aquaponics system. The module covers food-borne illnesses, production and harvest practices, and cross-contamination. Two of the primary food-borne illnesses include E.coli and Listeria. The module also covers safe harvesting and packaging practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) procedures.
The business module asks if aquaponics is a viable industry and the decisions that must be made for a successful venture. Feasibility assessments are essential in deciding the fit of the business to the owner. The second phase introduces the planning stages in the financial and marketing side of things. The final two phases present the company and a look at strategic growth. Finally, funding sources are examined to assist the potential business owner.
The modules were then processed with voice-over to explain the detailed information on the slides. Clemson Online then created a library for the modules so that participants could go through each module at their own pace and understand the information provided.
The team also established goals for each module and created questions the participants would have to answer. For each module, questions will be asked before viewing the module and then again immediately after. The goal of the questions for the participants to answer is to see how much knowledge each participant has about aquaponics initially. Through viewing and obtaining information through each module, understand the correct answer for each question better.
The additional educational piece will be the in-person workshops we will hold in the fall and spring. These workshops will allow for a review of the materials discussed in the module for any further questions the agents may have. The team and participants will visit the greenhouse first to discuss the different parts of the aquaponics system and answer any questions. The team will then conduct an exercise on water quality and explore the necessity of water quality monitoring for an aquaponics system. pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate will be discussed along with other vital compounds to look for in an aquaponics system. The team will also discuss proper techniques for handling food for food safety precautions. And the business team will offer more information on the individual cost associated with purchasing a system and dealing with operational costs.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Modules were developed, which included short PowerPoint presentations or modules containing information about aquaponics. The presentations included: an introduction module, individual system components, fish and plant selection, food handling and safety, and economic attributes. The introduction module contains information establishing a basic understanding of aquaponics and its difference from hydroponics. This gives a basic knowledge of aquaponics' complexity but illustrates its efficiency compared to hydroponics.
For system components, the modules cover topics including the fish tank, mechanical and biological filtration, water circulation, and aeration needed to provide oxygen to the system. These modules offer advice on selecting different components according to an individual's choice in management schemes. It is essential to make these selections so that operation is efficient, and maintenance is minimal.
The modules created for the project were compiled to allow the participant to engage in the fundamental aspects of aquaponics, essential parts, and the proper operation and maintenance of the system. The participants could go through each module to gain knowledge of aquaponics. The participants felt the modules provided enough information for the understanding of aquaponics.
The team established a pre-and post-test for each module to test the participants' knowledge. The team created questions the participants would have to answer. For each module, questions will be asked before viewing the module and then again immediately after. Through viewing and obtaining information through each module, understand the correct answer for each question better.
The pre and post-test were developed for each module as true-false and multiple-choice questions. These questions correspond to the information presented in each module. The pre and post-test are to gather information on how much the participants previously knew about aquaponics. Once they view the module, they can retake the quiz to see if they understood the topics correctly.
The pre and post-tests allowed the team to gather information to evaluate the pre and post-understanding of aquaponics and the ability to gain knowledge through the modules.
Post-evaluations will be conducted to get a feel for the participant's perception of the course and to explore what they felt comfortable about the procedure and their concerns about the course outcome. These evaluation will also be used to evaluate the course.
The post-evaluation will ask yes and no questions for information about the overall course and what the participants ultimately got out of the course. These questions will be based on the modules, the pre and post-test, and the in-person workshop. Questions will also be asked on the evaluation of some of the topics from the modules. A sliding scale will determine their understanding of the topics before participation in the program and after going through the modules and the workshop.
The post-evaluation will help the team understand the participant's eagerness to learn more about aquaponics and the evaluation of the modules and tests for the proper delivery of the information to the participant. This will be meaningful data for the project's final analysis and outcomes.
The objective of in-person workshops will be held in the fall and spring. These workshops will allow for a review of the materials discussed in the module for any further questions the agents may have. The team will also visit the greenhouse first to discuss the different parts of the aquaponics system and answer any questions.
The participants will first visit the greenhouse to discuss the aquaponics system's different parts and answer any questions. The team will then conduct an exercise on water quality and explore the necessity of water quality monitoring for an aquaponics system. pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate will be discussed along with other vital compounds to look for in an aquaponics system. The team will also discuss proper techniques for handling food for food safety precautions. And the business team will offer more information on the individual cost associated with purchasing a system and dealing with operational expenses.
The in-person workshop allowed the participants to experience and ask questions about an operational aquaponics system. The participants could examine the system's specific components and understand each component's purpose. They were also able to understand the water movement and quality needed for each section of the water flow process. The team explained water quality and the importance of nutrient-rich water circulating through the system.
This session aimed to recruit educators to evaluate the proposed project. This section will allow the team to assess the pre-and post-tests and evaluate the surveys to determine how successfully the project's objectives were achieved.
In the fall of 2023, the team organized an opportunity for a group of educators to participate in the modules, pre-and post-tests, and the final survey. The team was enthusiastic about the participants completing the activity. However, in the spring of 2024, another advertisement was sent out to encourage participation, but this attempt was unsuccessful, and we could not attract enough participants. Consequently, the program and workshop were canceled.
The team offered another cohort the opportunity to participate, and this cohort concluded the final workshop on June 27, 2024. Despite this group's completion, we still could not gather sufficient outcomes to provide conclusive data. Due to these unexpected delays, the team requested a no-cost extension to allow more opportunities for educators to participate in the project.
The team plans to engage at least three more cohorts to participate and complete their phase of the program and workshop. This will provide adequate opportunities to gather substantial data for presentation.