Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Professor of Aquaculture and Sea-Ranching, University of Rostock, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany.
French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jul 31;14(1):17725. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-68361-3.
A major challenge in agriculture, horticulture and aquaponics practices is the reduction of mineral fertilisers and peat to reduce CO emissions and increase sustainability. This study used a three-phase-natural fertiliser, the Humicacid Fiber-Substrate (HFS), made from natural regenerative organic and mineral-fractions (Humus-Mineral-Complex), to reduce the peat content in plant pots for aquaponics farming. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) growth was compared with i) 100% standard media substrate ("Einheitserde", white peat 80%, clay 20%), and ii) 85% "Einheitserde" and 15% of HFS under irrigation with aquaculture process waters from an extensive and intensive production of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) under coupled aquaponic conditions. The substitution with 15% HFS and use of intensive fish water resulted in comparable plant growth to a fertiliser solution as control, and in higher leaf width and leaf green weight and lower root dry weight compared with the standard media substrate "Einheitserde". Basil leaf chlorophyll content from the aquaponics was higher compared with local market plants. This suggests the possible substitution of the peat substrate "Einheitserde" with at least 15% HFS to reduce the natural peat fraction. Further studies on crop-specific substrates are needed to reduce peat in aquaponics farming plant cultivation.
在农业、园艺和水培实践中，一个主要的挑战是减少矿物肥料和泥炭的使用，以减少 CO2 排放并提高可持续性。本研究使用了一种三阶段天然肥料——腐植酸纤维基质（HFS），它由天然再生有机和矿物质部分（腐殖质-矿物质复合物）制成，用于减少水培农业中用于植物盆的泥炭含量。与以下两种情况相比，罗勒（Ocimum basilicum）的生长情况得到了比较：i）100%标准介质基质（“Einheitserde”，白泥炭 80%，粘土 20%），和 ii）85%“Einheitserde”和 15%的 HFS，灌溉用水来自大规模和集约化养殖非洲鲶鱼（Clarias gariepinus）的水产养殖过程水，在耦合水培条件下。用 15%的 HFS 替代并使用集约化的鱼类用水，与作为对照的肥料溶液相比，植物生长情况相当，与标准介质基质“Einheitserde”相比，叶片宽度和叶片绿色重量更高，而根部干重更低。与当地市场植物相比，水培系统中罗勒的叶片叶绿素含量更高。这表明，至少可以用 15%的 HFS 替代泥炭基质“Einheitserde”，以减少天然泥炭的比例。需要进一步研究针对特定作物的基质，以减少水培农业中植物栽培对泥炭的使用。
