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Aquaponic systems utilize a symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic animals wherein plants ingest nutrients from the excretory matter produced by the animals. This purifies the surrounding water and promotes a healthy environment for the animals, while the plants gain necessary nutrients for their own growth and function. This experiment sought to examine whether water containing goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) excrement actually increased germination rates of basil, Ocimum basili
Originaltitel
The Effect of Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) Excrement on the Germination Rate of Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Seeds
Aquaponic systems utilize a symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic animals wherein plants ingest nutrients from the excretory matter produced by the animals. This purifies the surrounding water and promotes a healthy environment for the animals, while the plants gain necessary nutrients for their own growth and function. This experiment sought to examine whether water containing goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) excrement actually increased germination rates of basil, Ocimum basili
Aquaponic systems utilize a symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic animals wherein plants ingest nutrients from the excretory matter produced by the animals. This purifies the surrounding water and promotes a healthy environment for the animals, while the plants gain necessary nutrients for their own growth and function. This experiment sought to examine whether water containing goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) excrement actually increased germination rates of basil, Ocimum basili
The Effect of Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) Excrement on the Germination Rate of
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Seeds
Patrick Stumps, Andrew Favor, Felicia Vo, and David Atta Department of Biological Science Saddleback College 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
Aquaponic systems utilize a symbiotic relationship between plants and aquatic
animals wherein plants ingest nutrients from the excretory matter produced by the animals. This purifies the surrounding water and promotes a healthy environment for the animals, while the plants gain necessary nutrients for their own growth and function. This experiment sought to examine whether water containing goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) excrement actually increased germination rates of basil, Ocimum basilicum. Basil seeds were left to germinate in varying concentration ratios of water containing fish excrement and tap water. Each group’s water was tested for a range of compounds characteristic of fish excrement. Mean number of seeds germinated in group 1 containing only tank water (3.4 ± 5.52, mean ± SEM respectively). Group 2, 75/25 tank water to treated tap water ratio (4.8 ± 3.66). Rates of germination were found to be highest in group 3, 50/50 tank water to tap water ratio (6.2 ± 2.83), and group 4, 25/75 tank water to tap water ratio (6.2 ± 3.44). Group 5 with solely treated tap water (4.6 ± 5.92). However, analysis with a one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference between the rates of germination between groups (p = 0.7024). These results suggest that germination rates increase with increasing nitrite concentrations, but simultaneously decrease with increasing ammonia concentrations.
Introduction practices. Furthermore, due to the ability of certain
In the natural world, symbiotic relationships plants to partake in water purification, the utilization of develop between different organisms in order to ideally such a system is ideal for the food production of people utilize the varying metabolic functions between living in regions of the world where clean water is species. For instance, in oceanic and other aquatic scarce (Chan, 1993). Internationally, the use of ecosystems, plants use their ability to ingest aquaponic systems as an integrative farming technique environmental nutrients to absorb excretory matter continues to rapidly increase (Rakocy et al., 2010) and from aquatic animals; this purifies the surrounding further analysis of the factors that contribute to ideal water, and thus promotes a healthy environment for conditions for aquaponic systems will allow people to other organisms while the plants receive the necessary develop new aquaponic techniques, which may better nutrients for their own growth and function. This fit the varying needs and resources of people symbiotic relationship has been utilized in an throughout the world. integrative farming technique known as “aquaponics”. It is understood that aquaponic environments As of today, aquaponics is an extremely utilize the ability of plants to take in nutrients from popular and efficient way for fertilizing plants, and is surrounding water to cleanse the water of excrement used for a broad range of other industrial applications put out by the fish inhabiting it. Excretory matter (Rakocy et al., 2006). Most aquaponic systems pump produced by fish contains nitrates and nitrites, which fish wastewater through grow-beds, in which the plants promote plant growth (Esashi et al., 1979), but also filter the water in order to keep the fish healthy contains ammonia, which can inhibit plant growth (Lennard and Leonard, 2005). (Bennett and Adams, 1970). The symbiotic effects of aquaponic integration This project seeks to examine the symbiotic are being utilized industrially to increase the economic relationship between plants and aquatic animals within efficiency of indoor fish and plant farming (Blidariu aquaponic systems. Researchers will examine if water and Grozea, 2011). Aquaponic systems offer an containing Carassius auratus auratus (goldfish) efficient way to promote both plant and animal growth excrement facilitates faster rates of plant growth than while conserving the amount of water needed in both pure water, while taking note of the pH, ammonia concentration and nitrite concentration found in each mean number of seeds that germinated in Group 3 experimental condition. In consideration of this, the dishes (50% tank water / 50% tap water) was 6.2 ± specified measurements will be examined to find a 2.83 (±SEM, N = 5). The mean number of seeds that dilution-range where the presence of these compounds germinated in Group 4 dishes (25% tank water / 75% achieve an ideal balance, and in turn promote tap water) was 6.2 ± 3.44 (±SEM, N = 5). The mean germination to the greatest degree. This analysis seeks number of seeds that germinated in Group 5 dishes (0% to shed light upon whether or not the germination rate tank water / 100% tap water) was 4.6 ± 5.92 (±SEM, N of basil seeds increases with a higher concentration of = 5). The mean germination values of each group can goldfish excrement in water when grown in a be seen in Figure 1. There was no significant difference hydroponic environment. Observation of the levels of between the rates of germination between groups (one- excrement-concentration that seem to ideally facilitate way ANOVA, p = 0.7024). More germination occurred plant growth will foster a greater understanding how in the middle groups, however the difference was not the water-purity levels in simple aquaponic systems great enough to reject the null hypothesis (Figure 1). should be maintained for optimal functionality. Table 1. Concentration of tank water and tap water Materials and Methods added to each experimental group’s Petri dishes, as Two hundred fifty basil seeds (Ocimum well as each water-group’s pH, and concentrations of basilcum) as well as four goldfish (Carassius auratus nitrite (ppm), phosphate (ppm), and ammonia (ppm). auratus) were used in this experiment. Seeds of Group Group Group Group Group Change brand Basil seeds were purchased from 1 2 3 4 5 Walmart and the gold fish were purchased from % tank 100 75 50 25 0 PetSmart. The four fish were housed in a 9.08 L fish water tank with no water filter over the course of three days % tap 0 25 50 75 100 in a researcher’s house in order to accumulate water ammonia and nitrites in the water. The water was then pH 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.0 tested with a pond test kit. The water was tested for pH, nitrite, ammonia, and phosphate concentrations. Nitrite 5.0 3.5 1.5 0.5 0.0 The tested water was then split up into five (ppm) different ratios of tank water and dechlorinated tap- Phosphate 1.0 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.0 water (Table 1). Group one contained 100% tank (ppm) water. Group two contained 75% tank water. Group Ammonia 8.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.5 three contained 50% tank water. Group four contained (ppm) 25% tank water. Group 5 contained 0% tank water. Four mL from each of these water groups 15 Average Number of Seeds Germinated
were put into their corresponding Petri dishes, each
Per Petri Dish
dish containing ten basil seeds and filter paper to 10
prevent water loss. There were five Petri dishes used in 5 each of the five groups. The twenty-five Petri dishes 0 were placed under a twelve-volt halogen-bulb lamp, on 100% 75% 50% 25% 0% top of a tin foil sheet, which was used to evenly spread -5 Percent Fish Water out light. The basil seeds were left to germinate from 20 April to 24 April 2015. All measurements were Figure 1. Average number of seeds germinated per made between 20 April and 24 April 2015. Petri dish vs. different percentages tank-water in each Data gathered during the experiment was Petri dish. There was no significant difference between analyzed for variance between groups using a one-way the rates of germination between groups (one-way ANOVA test in order to compare average germination ANOVA, p = 0.7024). rates against the different values of pH, nitrite concentration, and ammonia concentration. Discussion As seen in the results of the statistical Results: analysis, there is no significant difference in rates of The mean number of seeds that germinated in germination, given groups defined by a linear increase Group 1 dishes (100% tank water / 0% tap water) was in concentrations of fish excrement. However, the 3.4 ± 5.52 (±SEM, N = 5). The mean number of seeds highest average rates of germination were seen in that germinated in Group 2 dishes (75% tank water / groups containing twenty-five and fifty percent tank 25% tap water) was 4.8 ± 3.66 (±SEM, N = 5). The water. These groups contained ranges of 0.5-1.5 ppm nitrite, and 3.5-4.0 ppm ammonia. Esashi, Yohji, Yuuko Ohhara, Makiko Okazaki, and In certain concentrations, nitrite has shown an Kohya Hishinuma. (1979) “Control of cocklebur seed increase in seedling germination by promoting germination by nitrogenous compounds: nitrite, nitrate, anaerobic induction (Esashi et al., 1979). Furthermore, hydroxylamine, thiourea, azide and cyanide.” Plant aqueous ammonia is known to be toxic to seedlings at and Cell Physiology 20, no. 2: 349-361. concentrations as low as 3.5 ppm (Bennett and Adams, 1970). The interplay between the inhibitory effects of Lennard, Wilson A., and Brian V. Leonard. (2005) “A ammonia and the growth-promoting effects of nitrites comparison of reciprocating flow versus constant flow suggest that the ideal water quality for aquaponic in an integrated, gravel bed, aquaponic test systems would possess a balance between ammonia system.”Aquaculture International 12, no. 6: 539-553. and nitrite concentrations. Additionally, such a trend would explain the pattern seen in the varying Rakocy, James E., Michael P. Masser, and Thomas M. germination rates of this experiment’s water-purity Losordo. (2006) “Recirculating aquaculture tank groups. production systems: aquaponics—integrating fish and The results of this study, which suggest that a plant culture.” SRAC publication 454: 1-16. balance between ammonia and nitrite is ideal for facilitating plant-growth, are consistent with the results Rakocy, J. E., D. S. Bailey, R. C. Shultz, and J. J. of other studies. An examination of the effects of Danaher (2010) “The status of aquaponics— various ratios of nitrogenous compounds on the growth 2010.” World Aquaculture Society 2010. of strawberries, Fragaria ananassa, found optimal growth to occur in conditions containing a percentage Saadatian, M., Gh Peyvast, J. A. Olfati, and P. ratio of 25NH4:75NO3 (Tabatabaei et al., 2006). Ramezani-Kharazi. (2014) “Different species of basil Additionally, research on the effects of ammonium and need different ammonium to nitrate ratio in nitrate on growth in basil plants actually found that hydroponics’ system.” Acta agriculturae even among different varieties of basil, there were Slovenica 103: 223-232. differences in the optimal concentration-ratios of these two compounds for growth-promotion (Saadatian et Tabatabaei, S. J., L. S. Fatemi, and E. Fallahi. (2006) al., 2014). “Effect of ammonium: nitrate ratio on yield, calcium From the results of this study and others, it concentration, and photosynthesis rate in can be seen that optimal plant growth occurs when strawberry.”Journal of plant nutrition 29, no. 7: 1273- there is an achieved balance between concentrations of 1285. ammonia and nitrite in the water or fertilizing material being used. Since increases in the concentration of excretory matter in fish-water yields an increase in both nitrite and ammonia concentrations simultaneously, future designs for aquaponic systems might consider ways to filter or inhibit the production of ammonia, while maintaining standard production of nitrite.
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“Increasing the Economical Efficiency and Sustainability of Indoor Fish Farming by Means of Aquaponics-Review.”Scientific Papers Animal Science and Biotechnologies 44, no. 2: 1-8.
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