Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system

Maucieri, Carmelo; Nicoletto, Carlo; Schmautz, Zala; Sambo, Paolo; Komives, Tamas; Borin, Maurizio; Junge, Ranka

doi:10.21256/zhaw-4951

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4951

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system
Authors:	Maucieri, Carmelo Nicoletto, Carlo Schmautz, Zala Sambo, Paolo Komives, Tamas Borin, Maurizio Junge, Ranka
DOI:	10.21256/zhaw-4951 10.3390/agronomy7040063
Published in:	Agronomy
Volume(Issue):	7
Issue:	4
Page(s):	63
Issue Date:	2017
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	MDPI
ISSN:	2073-4395
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	630: Agriculture
Abstract:	This paper reports the results of the first study of an aquaponic system for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus production that uses Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Cichorium intybus L. rubifolium group (red chicory) intercropping in the hydroponic section. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Wädenswil, Switzerland, using nine small-scale aquaponic systems (each approximately 400 L), with the nutrient film technique (NFT). The intercropping of vegetables did not influence the water temperature, pH, electric conductivity (EC), oxidation-reduction potential, nor O2 content. Intercropping with red chicory increased the lettuce sugar content (+16.0% and +25.3% for glucose and fructose, respectively) and reduced the lettuce caffeic acid content (-16.8%). In regards to bitter taste compounds (sesquiterpene lactones), intercropping reduced the concentrations of dihydro-lactucopicrin + lactucopicrin (-42.0%) in lettuce, and dihydro-lactucopicrin + lactucopicrin (−22.0%) and 8-deoxy-lactucin + dihydro-lactucopicrin oxalate (-18.7%) in red chicory, whereas dihydro-lactucin content increased (+40.6%) in red chicory in regards to monoculture. A significantly higher organic nitrogen content was found in the lettuce (3.9%) than in the red chicory biomass (3.4%), following the intercropping treatment. Anion and cation contents in vegetables were affected by species (Cl-, NO3-, PO43-, SO42-, and Ca2+), intercropping (K+ and Mg2+), and species × intercropping interactions (NO2- and NH4+). Experimental treatments (monoculture vs intercropping and distance from NFT inlet) did not exert significant effects on leaf SPAD (index of relative chlorophyll content) values, whereas the red coloration of the plants increased from the inlet to the outlet of the NFT channel. Intercropping of lettuce and red chicory affected the typical taste of these vegetables by increasing the sweetness of lettuce and changing the ratio among bitter taste compounds in red chicory. These results suggest intercropping as a possible solution for improving vegetable quality in aquaponics. Although the results are interesting, they have been obtained in a relatively short period, thus investigations for longer periods are necessary to confirm these findings. Further studies are also needed to corroborate the positive effect of the presence of red chicory in the system on fish production parameters.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/14109
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY 4.0: Attribution 4.0 International
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Maucieri, C., Nicoletto, C., Schmautz, Z., Sambo, P., Komives, T., Borin, M., & Junge, R. (2017). Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system. Agronomy, 7(4), 63. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4951

Maucieri, C. et al. (2017) ‘Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system’, Agronomy, 7(4), p. 63. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4951.

C. Maucieri et al., “Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system,” Agronomy, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 63, 2017, doi: 10.21256/zhaw-4951.

MAUCIERI, Carmelo, Carlo NICOLETTO, Zala SCHMAUTZ, Paolo SAMBO, Tamas KOMIVES, Maurizio BORIN und Ranka JUNGE, 2017. Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system. Agronomy. 2017. Bd. 7, Nr. 4, S. 63. DOI 10.21256/zhaw-4951

Maucieri, Carmelo, Carlo Nicoletto, Zala Schmautz, Paolo Sambo, Tamas Komives, Maurizio Borin, and Ranka Junge. 2017. “Vegetable Intercropping in a Small-Scale Aquaponic System.” Agronomy 7 (4): 63. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4951.

Maucieri, Carmelo, et al. “Vegetable Intercropping in a Small-Scale Aquaponic System.” Agronomy, vol. 7, no. 4, 2017, p. 63, https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4951.