Sustainable Solutions for Arid Regions: Harnessing Aquaponics Water to Enhance Soil Quality in Egypt

Mohieyeddin M. Abd El-Azeim, Eman Yousef, Marwa Hussien, Ahmad Hamza, Ahmad Menesi, Naglaa Youssef, Maha Omar, Joanna Lemanowicz, Gaber E. Eldesoky, Nesrin S. Abdelkarim, Renata Gaj, Jean Diatta () and Samir A. Haddad ()
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Mohieyeddin M. Abd El-Azeim: Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Eman Yousef: Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Marwa Hussien: Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Ahmad Hamza: Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Ahmad Menesi: Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Naglaa Youssef: Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt
Maha Omar: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Joanna Lemanowicz: Department of Biogeochemistry and Soil Science, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, 85-029 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Gaber E. Eldesoky: Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Nesrin S. Abdelkarim: Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt
Renata Gaj: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznan, Poland
Jean Diatta: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznan, Poland
Samir A. Haddad: Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Minia University, El-Minia 61517, Egypt

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Dual use of water for fish and crop production could be a promising approach to improve irrigation under arid conditions. A watercress pot study was carried out to assess the effects of irrigation by catfish and tilapia aquaculture water on the sandy soil properties as well as the growth parameters of watercress with various combinations of artificial NPK fertilizers at El-Minia Governorate of Egypt (28°18′16″ N latitude and 30°34′38″ E longitude). Catfish aquaculture water had the greatest phytoplankton abundance at 83,762 units (×10 4 /L), while the minimum number of phytoplankton existed in tilapia aquaculture water, recorded at 14,873 units (×10 4 /L). There were significant average changes that varied from 120 to 237 (×10 4 cfu/mL −1 ) in total bacterial counts in tilapia and catfish waters. Watercress growth quality parameters closely paralleled at all NPK application rates, indicating that the highest quality plants were produced in pots receiving 25% of the recommended levels and irrigated with catfish aquaculture water. Nitrate concentrations of watercress plants were determined under pollution levels established by the European Commission for leafy and tuber vegetables. In conclusion, the use of microbial and phytoplankton-rich aquaculture water to irrigate vegetables and as fertilizer can maintain a balanced soil ecosystem.

Keywords: sustainability; phytoplankton; watercress; soil quality; aquaponics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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