Integrated Rice-Multi-Trophic-Aquaponics and Rice-Tilapia- Monoculture Systems as Environmental Techniques for Optimizing Water, Feed Conversion Ratio, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Use Efficiency

Abstract

Currently, there is an increasing demand for the development of sustainable horticulture aquaculture systems that can effectively adapt to climate change conditions. In this study, we explore the potential of novel Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems (IAAS) to enhance water, nitrogen, and phosphorus-use efficiency (WUE, NUE, and PUE, respectively), while extending the nutrient cycle generated by rice and raising aquatic animals, under the conditions of climate adaptation. For 90 days, in a 2 greenhouse closed system, two types of aquatic animals-rice integrated culture systems (Tilapia (T) -Rice (R) monoculture and Integrated Multi-Trophic-Aquaculture (IMTA)-R culture system) were evaluated within two rice hydroponic culture techniques of Floating Raft System (FRS) and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). Four treatments were conducted in this study. Treatments 1 and 2 were IMTA-R cultivation systems using FRS and NFT techniques (IMTA-R-FRS and IMTA-R-NFT, respectively). Treatments 3 and 4 were T-R cultivation systems using FRS and NFT techniques (T-R-FRS and T-R-NFT, respectively). All treatments (IMTA-R-FRS, IMTA-R-NFT, T-R-FRS, and T-R-NFT) were conducted in 2 separate greenhouses using indoor-recycling closed systems. The results found that integrated IMTA-R and T-R using the FRS technique are particularly promising for optimizing WUE, NUE, and PUE than the NFT technique. These systems offer a potential solution to the challenges of climate change, which requires a more sustainable and resilient food production system. On the other hand, IMTA-R-FRS is particularly promising for optimizing WUE, NUE, and PUE, and the variety of aquatic animal production yield (such as mullets, crayfish, freshwater mussels, and silver carp) than the T-R-FRS technique.