Environment
ICAR-CIFA Bhubaneswar develops aquaponic technique
A new system called Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) aquaponics system has been developed by ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture under its All India Coordinated Research Project on Plasticulture Engineering & Technology (AICRP on PET) centre located at Bhubaneswar. This has been done on a pilot basis. The system includes fish culture tank, submersible water pump, trickling filter, four NFT grow pipes for growing plants. Aquaponics is a sustainable and lucrative food producing process where aquaculture and hydroponics methods are combined in a desirable manner for the efficient use of water, nutrients and space. Under this, the excess nutrients from aquaculture and agriculture are synergistically used for better quality and quantity of both crop and fish. Using this technique, various plants and fish species are grown in the Kausalyaganga campus of ICAR-CIFA. It has been observed that the combination of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) fish and poi saga resulted in 34 percent higher growth in fishes in aquaponics tank in comparison to control tank due to improved water quality via removal of dissolved nutrients by the plants. The system can be adopted to farm on rooftop by the urban population for natural foods and recreation.
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