A young Agriculture Engineer holding spinach, grown in a hydroponic environment.
Hydroponics and Aquaponics are both methods of growing in a soil-free environment, with the main difference being that aquaponics use fish in their closed loop system. The freedom that comes with not having to use soil in these farming methods means that crop can be grown anywhere, anytime. Moreover, these methods are more efficient with space, less labour intensive and provide greater, more reliable harvests. So, which is better? What are their main differences? What are our thoughts at District Eating?
Aquaponics is a form of hydroponics – it uses fish and plants in a symbiotic relationship in a way that mimics a natural ecosystem. The fish are kept in tanks and their excretion makes up dirty water which is converted into food through a pump and fed to the plants. When the plants feed on this, they clean the water, which is then returned to the tank. Any nutrients the plants need comes directly from the fish. This method uses 90% less water than traditional gardening methods and produces more food per square foot than any other gardening system.
However, there are challenges. The building of the tanks can be quite complicated, and the set up needs to be large enough for the fish and their growth. This set-up can cost around 40% more than hydroponics and there is a delayed start time for setting up an aquaponic farm as a healthy microbial environment needs to be created. Aquaponic systems can take up to 18 months to then reach full crop potential, although after this time, crop yields greater than hydroponics can be expected.
Hydroponics uses formulated solutions to provide the nutrients for the plants, without the need for fish within the system. This is a much less costly method and doesn’t have the added labour that comes with working with animals such as feeding, checking water temperature and microbe management. Hydroponics is easier to operate and a simpler method to train workers for.
Overall, both methods are a great way to create new jobs and provide locally grown produce. Not using soil avoids weeding, soil pests and allows for the use of novel growing locations. At District Eating we are looking to use both systems, but in different locations. Aquaponics lends itself to greater public engagement with our food systems, as people enjoy seeing the fish at work. Hydroponics is useful where job creation, short food supply chains and low water usage are the key requirements. Our company director, Faye Tomson says “ Both these methods have the potential to increase local food production, enhance food security, re-ignite people’s interest in where their food comes from and hopefully inspire careers in horticulture. ”
District Eating have been working with local councils to help create urban farms. We see an opportunity with freeing office space and closing shops to transform the high street and find more sustainable methods of farming. Look out for our next blog post for more on the opportunity presented with the transforming high street.
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