5 research outputs found
Chapitre 14: Phytopathogènes et stratégies de contrôle en aquaponie
peer reviewedAmong the diversity of plant diseases occurring in aquaponics, soil-borne
pathogens, such as Fusarium spp., Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp., are the most
problematic due to their preference for humid/aquatic environment conditions.
Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp. which belong to the Oomycetes pseudo-fungi
require special attention because of their mobile form of dispersion, the so-called
zoospores that can move freely and actively in liquid water. In coupled aquaponics,
curative methods are still limited because of the possible toxicity of pesticides and
chemical agents for fish and beneficial bacteria (e.g. nitrifying bacteria of the
biofilter). Furthermore, the development of biocontrol agents for aquaponic use is
still at its beginning. Consequently, ways to control the initial infection and the
progression of a disease are mainly based on preventive actions and water physical
treatments. However, suppressive action (suppression) could happen in aquaponic
environment considering recent papers and the suppressive activity already
highlighted in hydroponics. In addition, aquaponic water contains organic matter
that could promote establishment and growth of heterotrophic bacteria in the system
or even improve plant growth and viability directly. With regards to organic
hydroponics (i.e. use of organic fertilisation and organic plant media), these bacteria
could act as antagonist agents or as plant defence elicitors to protect plants from
diseases. In the future, research on the disease suppressive ability of the aquaponic
biotope must be increased, as well as isolation, characterisation and formulation of
microbial plant pathogen antagonists. Finally, a good knowledge in the rapid
identification of pathogens, combined with control methods and diseases monitoring,
as recommended in integrated plant pest management, is the key to an efficient
control of plant diseases in aquaponics.Cos
Bacterial Relationships in Aquaponics: New Research Directions
The growth rates and welfare of fish and the quality of plant production in aquaponics system rely on the composition and health of the system’s microbiota. The overall productivity depends on technical specifications for water quality and its movement amongst components of the system, including a wide range of parameters including factors such as pH and flow rates which ensure that microbial components can act effectively in nitrification and remineralization processes. In this chapter, we explore current research examining the role of microbial communities in three units of an aquaponics system: (1) the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for fish production which includes biofiltration systems for denitrification; (2) the hydroponics units for plant production; and (3) biofilters and bioreactors, including sludge digester systems (SDS) involved in microbial decomposition and recovery/remineralization of solid wastes. In the various sub-disciplines related to each of these components, there is existing literature about microbial communities and their importance within each system (e.g. recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), hydroponics, biofilters and digesters), but there is currently limited work examining interactions between these components in aquaponics system, thus making it an important area for further research