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

View the project final report

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.