Abstract

The increasing global population has placed immense pressure on the agriculture and allied sectors to meet the rising requirement for nutritious food. Aquaculture, as a key player in this arena, holds significant promise in providing high-quality nutrition while fostering entrepreneurship opportunities in rural and urban areas. However, the sector faces mounting challenges, including land scarcity, water pollution, urbanization and limited availability of freshwater resources. These pressures have necessitated a shift towards more intensified and integrated production systems, with the potential for more sustainable and cleaner methods of food production. Aquaponics has emerged as an innovative solution that integrates aquaculture with hydroponics to cultivate plants and aquatic animals combined in a symbiotic system. In this model, fish waste is used as a nutritional input for plants and the vegetation detoxify the water for the fish. The nitrogen cycle, facilitated by beneficial bacteria, is the driving force for the efficient functioning of this system. Technological advancements and ongoing innovations helped in developing various aquaponics models, such as the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and raft-based and media-based systems offering cost-effective solutions for food production. Despite these innovations, nutrient budgeting remains a significant challenge as plants often fail to absorb all available nutrients and minerals. To overcome this issue, supplementation through fish feed fortification or fertigation is required to enhance vegetation growth and improve the efficiency of the production system. Concept of hydraulic loading rates (HLR) was introduced to optimize water filtration and nutrient distribution within the system. Aquaponics presents a promising opportunity in response to the growing consumer demand for chemical-free and organic products. However, the efficiency of system hinges on the careful calibration of fish stocking density and fish-to-plant ratios. Further research is required to refine nutrient management and optimize species-specific HLR and component ratios to improve productivity and cost efficiency. Developing easy-to-operate, scalable systems and focusing on organic product development could unlock the full potential of aquaponics, opening new horizons for sustainable and integrated farming practices.