Piloting an Integrated, de-coupled aquaponics system for sustainable feed production.

Commodities

• Vegetables: sweet potatoes, taro
• Animals: fish

Practices

• Animal Production: aquaculture, feed/forage
• Production Systems: aquaponics

Aquaculture producers in Hawaii
face high costs of feed and electricity. This project aims to
address these challenges by researching locally produced fish
feed using ideal carbohydrate components and growing root crop
starches from excess water in a de-coupled aquaponics system
(DAPS). In summary, this project aims to develop sustainable
aquaculture feed, reduce energy costs, and promote local food
production in Hawai'i and elsewhere in the tropics. It will
benefit aquaculture producers by providing locally grown feed and
decreasing dependence on imported resources. Dissemination
efforts will ensure widespread adoption.

The project objectives are
to

1. Determine the yield of taro,
   sweet potato and cassava using effluent water from adjacent
   fish systems as the sole fertilizer source, 
2. Compare fish growth rates in a
   commercial scale DAP system versus a closed-loop aquaponics
   system,
3. Assess costs of production in a
   commercial scale DAP system relative to closed loop systems,
   and
4. Increase the awareness of 150 producers of recent innovations
   in aquaculture and aquaponics to improve on-farm profitability.

 Outcomes from successfully completing these
objectives are expected to include reduced feed costs for local
aquaculture producers, decreased dependence on imported feed
ingredients, and lower energy expenses.

Dissemination of the project's
findings (education component)  will be done through
workshops, online resources, podcasts, and newsletters to reach
agricultural stakeholders. The technique of using excess
nutrient-rich water from a DAPS can be adopted by other farmers
to grow various crops, reducing fertilizer costs and providing
additional revenue streams.

The project team, led by Elko
Evans, will install and maintain 15 tanks, monitor water quality,
and plant sweet potato, taro, and cassava. Catfish growth rates
will be compared between a DAPS and a closed-loop system. The
educational plan includes workshops, articles, and a GoFish
curriculum.

The project objectives are
to

1. Determine the yield of taro,
   sweet potato and cassava using effluent water from adjacent
   fish systems as the sole fertilizer source, 
2. Compare fish growth rates in a
   commercial scale DAP system versus a closed-loop aquaponics
   system,
3. Assess costs of production in a
   commercial scale DAP system relative to closed loop systems,
   and
4. Increase the awareness of 150 producers of recent innovations
   in aquaculture and aquaponics to improve on-farm profitability.