Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

New article about AP by New Zealand researcher Mike Nichols

http://hydroponics.com.au/aquaponics-myth-or-magic/

Not exactly glowing or enthusiastic.

Probably the best article written.. IMO..

But directly comparing Hydroponics and Aquaponics is like comparing the skills required, strategies & technologies employed, and desired outcomes of 1/4 mile drag racing and rally driving.

?

(in a massive commercial greenhouse I assume?)

and round and round it goes...

They both have the same desired commercial end point.. consistent production of quality produce...

And they both have the same commercial end point... sale to public consumption...

So why is the comparison invalid... or where do the differences lie??

Yep, aquaponics as I see it in any commercial form, will never be comparable to industrial hydroponic production.. Just a totally different kettle of fish with too many unknowns.. And why would it even want to compete.

But a small outfit value adding, selling smoked trout, trout caviar and associated products along with value added gourmet plant products like horse radish sauce, basil pesto, herb infused oils, smoked garlic, nasturtium capers, etc... Plus other aquaponic related products, tours, workshops etc.. This would be quite viable.

And you probably do need to put the article into the context that Nichols, Morgan et al... and Massey University...

Have been New Zealand's leading hydroponic researchers for decades...

Having said that... their approach to hydroponics, and even agriculture... has always been very scientifically based...

Rupe you say this is the best article written.

If hydro is so much better than AP then why do you even do AP? Hydro appears to be a solved problem and is so much more predictable and productive than AP so why do you spend so much time on AP forums if you think it is inferior to hydro????

Indeed.. with the approach usually taken... too many unknowns... but I don't believe that has to be the case.. if the design approach is slightly different..

And why would you want to compete... because at that wholesale commercial production level...

That's the market reality... and the market against which you are competing...


Indeed... perhaps... as long as expectations are framed accordingly...

Dave.. I think AP is fabulous... in the backyard... I just make a distinction between the backyard, or hobby farm... and what I see.. as commercial...

(Seems that somehow that distinction seems to be getting lost)

I just don't believe that it.. as currently implemented... it is as yet comparable commercially to hydroponics...

I'm not even suggesting that it can't be... I just believe that the kind of "industrial" commercial approach...

That would need to be competitive against hydroponic production.. and that is the commercial market...

Just isn't there yet... and has been hindered by the methodologies and rigidity of the single closed loop approach taken to date...

Separate out the aquaculture and hydroponic "loops"... and I believe it can be not only successful... but competitive...

I say the "best article written"... because I think it is a honest explanation/article...

(Edited : I don't necessarily agree with all that's written in the article... )

For a small outfit any processing of the fish is too costly. Firstly you need a fish processors licence then you need the commercial kitchen, approved fish offal disposal system etc etc. All this is a big cost to set up which would take a small operator a very long time to even recover costs let alone make a profit.

I think many of the concerns are valid but some of the arguments are a bit weak.

The claim of Savidov being able to achieve greater yields than local growers has been around for a while and Nichols is correct to point out that because direct side by side trials were not made means that there are limits to any conclusion that can be drawn. Having said that he seems to dismiss the observed fact the higher yields were achieved. This could be because of a variety of reasons such as the superb green thumb of Savidov versus farmers that grow crops for a living or a distinct difference in GH design or operation (heating perhaps). What I find odd though is that given the relationship between Savidov and Nichols (they are friends) if there was a major difference in GH or system operation that the differences were not communicated between the two academics and then to us in Nichols's article.

Nichols is right to be sceptical because Savidov's comparison of his results with those of local farmers is only anecdotal evidence at best. Instead of stating that stand-alone hydroponics was superior what I think would have been a more appropriate response from Nichols would be to suggest that side by side trials be conducted to discount, demonstrate or at least test the validity of just this one piece of anecdotal evidence.

True... but you're assuming that most hobby farmers.. selling direct to markets...

Are going to abide by the legislation... unless/until forced to...

In which case they probably would not be either operational.. or "profitable"...

Nichols did reference just such a side by side trial... and the results..

That done by Wilson Lennard in NZ for the Berrysmith Foundation...

The reason I want it to compete is that current farming practices are not sustainable. The growing incomes of much of the developing world is going to drive production towards higher value higher water use crops and animal protein production.

Hydroponics can be almost as water efficient as AP but only with the expense of vast amounts of energy to drive high pressure reverse osmosis pumps.

With AP animal protein can be produced with very little water and high value fruit and veg grown with not only very little water but a relatively (to HP) low carbon footprint.

If this is not possible commercially then it is not possible in the backyard and the numerous BYAP systems are just another example of our privileged planet devouring society.

IF true that makes BYAP systems part of our environmental problem rather than part of the solution.

Now I don't believe this to be true but anything that is done in the back yard can be done more efficiently and more effectively by industry. Once it learns how that is.