IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i2p625-d1316918.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability of Growth Performance, Water Quality, and Productivity of Nile Tilapia-Spinach Affected by Feeding and Fasting Regimes in Nutrient Film Technique-Based Aquaponics

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammed S. Al-Zahrani

    (Department of Computer Networks and Communications, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hesham A. Hassanien

    (Department of Animal and Fish Production, Agricultural and Food Sciences College, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
    Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt)

  • Fawaz W. Alsaade

    (Department of Computer Science, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

  • Heider A. M. Wahsheh

    (Department of Information Systems, College of Computer Science and Information Technology, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Aquaponic systems offer an innovative approach to sustainable agriculture, where the interplay between fish and plant cultivation can be optimized. The choice of feeding and fasting schedules plays a crucial role in system efficiency and overall productivity. This study aims to investigate the impacts of various feeding and fasting schedules on water quality, and the growth performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings, and spinach productivity in an aquaponic system based on the nutrient film technique (NFT). O. niloticus fingerlings with an initial weight of 13.47 ± 0.14 g were randomly stocked at a density of 6 kg/m 3 , and spinach plants (Spinacia oleracea) were included. The study employed a completely randomized block design with five replications. Various water quality parameters were monitored, and the effects of different feeding/fasting schedules on fish and spinach were assessed. The data revealed significant differences ( p < 0.05) in water quality parameters, all of which remained within acceptable ranges for aquaponic systems. The one-day feeding/one-day fasting treatment resulted in reduced final body weight, weight gain percentage, and specific growth rate, compared to other treatment groups ( p < 0.05). Higher levels of glucose and plasma cortisol were observed in this treatment. Economic efficiency was highest in the daily feeding treatment (40.05%), with no statistical difference ( p > 0.05) observed in the group subjected to three-day feeding/one-day fasting (39.03%). Spinach yield varied significantly between treatments ( p < 0.05), with the daily feeding treatment recording the highest yield (2.78 kg/m 2 ) and the one-day feeding/one-day fasting cycle having the lowest yield (1.57 kg/m 2 ). The findings suggest that the three-day feeding/one-day fasting regime in an NFT-based aquaponic system results in efficient nutrient utilization, higher productivity, and profitability for Nile tilapia. Additionally, this approach supports marketable biomass production for spinach. Different feeding and fasting schedules have distinct effects on water quality, fish growth, and spinach productivity in aquaponic systems. The three-day feeding/one-day fasting schedule emerges as an effective strategy for optimizing resource utilization and increasing overall productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammed S. Al-Zahrani & Hesham A. Hassanien & Fawaz W. Alsaade & Heider A. M. Wahsheh, 2024. "Sustainability of Growth Performance, Water Quality, and Productivity of Nile Tilapia-Spinach Affected by Feeding and Fasting Regimes in Nutrient Film Technique-Based Aquaponics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-16, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:625-:d:1316918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/625/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/2/625/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John, Venisza Cathy & Verma, Ajit Kumar & Krishnani, Kishore Kumar & Chandrakant, M.H. & Bharti, Vidya Shree & Varghese, Tincy, 2022. "Optimization of potassium (K+) supplementation for growth enhancement of Spinacia oleracea L. and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) in an aquaponic system," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    2. Mohammed S. Al-Zahrani & Hesham A. Hassanien & Fawaz W. Alsaade & Heider A. M. Wahsheh, 2023. "Effect of Stocking Density on Sustainable Growth Performance and Water Quality of Nile Tilapia-Spinach in NFT Aquaponic System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-12, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Farooq, Aatira & Verma, Ajit Kumar & Hittinahalli, Chandrakant Mallikarjun & Harika, Neerudu & Pai, Manjulesh, 2023. "Iron supplementation in aquaculture wastewater and its effect on the growth of spinach and pangasius in nutrient film technique based aquaponics," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:2:p:625-:d:1316918. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.