Nutrients in lettuce production in aquaponics with tilapia fish compared to that with hydroponics

ABSTRACT In aquaponic systems, the residual water from the cultivation of fish is not enough to meet the nutritional demands of plants. The main objective of this study was to investigate how to adjust a nutritive solution for the cultivation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in aquaponics, based on hydroponics. The treatments included six separate crops of lettuce in an aquaponic system, while the hydroponic system served as the control. In each treatment, three blocks were used to quantify the parameters of ‘head’ diameter, number and dry weight of leaves, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, total dry weight, and the concentration and accumulation of nutrients in the total dry weight of the lettuce plants. The lower nutrient supply led to the occurrence of the lowest total dry weight in the C2 leaf crops when compared to that of the other crops of aquaponics, which had adequate time for system maturation. The system maturation and the use of a balanced solution in the C5 and C6 crops allowed the head diameter of the aquaponics plants to be equal to those of the hydroponics plants. In the aquaponic system, N and Fe were the most limiting macronutrient and micronutrient, respectively. To produce lettuce in an aquaponic system, it is necessary to ‘ripen’ the crop water for at least 30 days, and supplement micronutrients in the form of mineral fertiliser.