ABSTRACT
The irrational consumption of water is one of the greatest problem in the world
today. Irrigation of agricultural crops with fish effluent is one way to solve this
problem. Rather than disposing of effluents gotten from aquaculture; then providing
nutrients from fertilizer and irrigation from another source of water. We could use
water containing fish effluent to irrigate agricultural crop. The aim of this study was
to determine the effect of irrigating with water from fish ponds on plant growth in
test plots in Yola, northeastern Nigeria. A field experiment was carried out in Yola
Adamawa state at American University of Nigeria. The experiment involved a farm
which was divided into the plots and 50 plant were present on each plot. Each plot
were irrigated differently. After the germination of the crops the stem growth of the
plants were measured. The data acquired was analyzed using ANOVA which gave a
p-value 0.1 indicating that the result was statistically not significant. Although, there
was no statistical significance the result was ecologically significant, because at the
end of the study plants were taller on the fish water plot than any other plot. This
vii
finding is very import to farmer who find it hard to acquire fertilizer due to cost. It is
also important because this type of irrigation is organic, environmentally friendly
and a sustainable type of farming.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION …………………………………………………………………………………………….. iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………………. v
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………………… vi
LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………………………………….. ix
LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………………… xi
CHAPTER 1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………………… 1
Benefits of aquaponics………………………………………………………………………………… 5
Aquaponics in northeastern Nigeria …………………………………………………………….. 8
Advantages of integrating aquaculture with agriculture …………………………………. 9
RESEARCH QUESTION…………………………………………………………………………….. 11
HYPOTHESES …………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
AIMS & OBJECTIVES ……………………………………………………………………………….. 11
CHAPTER 2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
MATERIALS AND METHODS…………………………………………………………………… 12
Study site…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Sampling…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
CHAPTER 3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
RESULTS ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
Table 1. Data collected showing different growth rate in different plot. Plants in
each plot grew differently depending on nutrient available. ……………………….. 19
Presence of weed on plots …………………………………………………………………………. 20
CHAPTER 4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
DISCUSSION …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
ix
Comparing three plots………………………………………………………………………………. 25
Presence of weed on plots …………………………………………………………………………. 26
Challenges………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
CHAPTER 5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
x
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1A. Data collected showing different growth rate in different plot. Plants in
each plots grew differently depending on nutrient available………………………..19
xi
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig. 1. Aquaponics can be mobile like the image above showing an aquaponics setup
on the top of a car. It can also be setup at different floors of a storey building and also
a glass house………………………………………………………………………….4
Fig. 2. Diagram representing the irrigation of rice from fish reservoir. The channel are
connected to reservoirs and the long arrows show the direction of water
flow. ……………………………………………………………………….…………9
Fig.3.Map of Nigeria showing Yola the capital city of Adamawa state…………….12
Fig.4. Yola is the capital city of Adamawa state and located in Yola is the American
University Nigeria where the study site is located. The study site is the American
University of Nigeria recycling center. ……………………….………….…………13
Fig.5. Graph showing the Yola, Nigeria climate. The graph shows the high
temperature and level of precipitation observed in this region………….………….14
Fig.6. Ridges dug for the plantation of the crops…………………………………..16
Fig.7. Ecological significant growth of plants found in fish water plot compared to
plants found in normal water plot and plants found in fertilizer…………….………20
Fig.8A. Weed on plot watered with fish water. No weed observed……….………..21
Fig.8B. Weed on plot watered with only normal water. Little amount of weed
observed……………………………………………………………………………..21
Fig.8C. Weed on plot watered with normal water with fertilizer applied on it. Lots of
weeds present in this plot…………………………………………………..………..22
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Desertification is the process of soil degradation in arid and semi-arid areas and
caused by human and climatic activities (European Environment Agency, 2013). As
a result of this areas like Bucharest, the capital city of Romania have been forced to
take up irrigation in order to present constant water supply for their crops. Irrigation
is the artificial supply of water to farm crops and livestock. Irrigation for agriculture
consumes 70% of the global water supply (Abdul-Rahman et al., 2011). Procedures
of applying water to the soil are various, such as drip irrigation, which makes use of
tubes or stripes for watering plants (irrigation). With drip irrigation, the water
coming out of the tubes or strips is dispensed in little drops, directly into the roots of
the plants.
Aside from drip irrigation, scientists and agricultural specialists are working on new
techniques to improve crop production by using less water and conserving aquatic
organisms. One such technique is using water from fish ponds.
Fish farming is a type of aquaculture, which is the farming of fishes under controlled
conditions (Helfrich & Libey, 1991). Approximately 46,000 fish ponds produce 1.1
Gg of fish every year in Africa (Meso et al., 2004). During the harvesting process,
the fish ponds are drained, leading to the discharge of fish waste. Before the
invention of aquaponics (the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics), the fish
wastes are poured on the soil and were allowed to flow into the waterways from the
2
soil; since the fish waste is nutrient-rich those that remain makes the soil become
nutritious.
Aquaculture is a sector of agriculture that is growing rapidly all over the world
because of the demand for fish as food and other uses. Aquaculture includes the
farming of finfishes, mollusks, crustaceans, amphibians (frogs), aquatic reptiles
(except crocodiles), and other aquatic animals, such as sea urchins, sea squirts, and
jellyfishes (Boison & Turnipseed, 2015). Aquaculture farmers are restricted to the
farming of newly hatched, algae and also aquatic items needed for fashion and
cosmetic, like shell buttons and pearls. The United Nations’ Food and Agricultural
Organization defines aquaculture as the farming of aquatic organisms including fish,
molluscs, crustaceans, and aquatic plants (Boison & Turnipseed, 2015). Historically,
the water used for fish farming in aquaculture was disposed of, but this has changed
in recent years, as fish pond water has been shown to be potentially beneficial to
plant growth. Aquaculture depends on the constant supply of freshwater from rivers
and other water sources, but discharging waste water from the fish pond to the
freshwater sources degrades water quality of the source and may also affect the
fishes reared in the aquaculture system (Trang & Brix, 2014). Fish ponds have
begun to serve as reservoir for the irrigation of plants because the effluent of fishes
deposited in the water is important for the growth of plants (Fernando & Halwart,
2000). As a result, integrating aquaculture and hydroponics (planting of crops in
water and not soil) has become popular globally.
Around the 80s and 90s, the urban style of agriculture has experienced an explosion
in terms of creativity and innovation. Living in the city where education, nightlife,
3
and culture have become the day to day worries of the various individuals. With all
the creativity and innovations, scientists came up with ways to access fresh food
without importing from other places. Scientists came up with a technique which
involves the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics is the best way to do it.
However, the process of integrating aquaculture and hydroponics gives rise to
aquaponics.
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