Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) culture in vermi-aquaponic systems: II. Strategies for sustainable and economic development: Fertilization practices in vermi-ponic unit

Abstract

Under optimized biological and technical conditions, aquaponics provides more advantages than conventional (soil-based greenhouse) and hydroponic cultivations as the result of reusing the wastewater and thereby improving energy, water and nutrient use efficiency, productivity, financial gain, as well as plant and ecosystem health. Tomato is one of the most consumed nutritive vegetables and a good model plant for developing aquaponic techniques. So far, numerous attempts have been made to demonstrate the efficacy of safe use of materials and applying environmentally-safe materials in aquaponics. Optimizing the interacting species-specific responses, biological activities and operations management have the potential to maximize the performance of aquaponics. Thus, the advanced approaches from integrated inorganic-organic-bio fertilizers in different components of an aquaponic system and different aquaponic systems are evaluated in this work to make the most benefit of tomato production and aquaculture in vermi-aquaponics. Sustainable strategies are discussed to optimize fertilization and water quality in vermi-ponic unit, nutrient quality and biological balance in microalgae-bacteria consortia in different production units. The prospects of using integrated approaches by applying organic and aquatic recycled substrates for vermicompost preparation, vermicompost fortification, root-zone application and foliar sprays of biocompatible and bioagents and their interactions are discussed to enhance tomato yield and quality and suppress pests and diseases in vermi-aquaponic systems.