Adapt Aquaponics to a rural setting
Status: 
Time needed:
Two days
Step:
1
We need ideas of how to adapt aquaponics to a rural setting. We know that in the far east, bamboo is used as grow beds but have no idea how. We need to find a way to pump water through growbeds without using expensive pumps. We are interested on how gravity can be used in such circumstances.
We need information on how bicycle pumps can be made and cheap float values and any contributions will be highly appreciated.
We know it has been done in Asia but how?
Thank you.
Picture:
Attached files:
Project: Aquaponics
You might find your answers from here:
http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/contact.html
Vijai
Thanks Vijay
Have already contacted them but no one answers back for a month now and their system costs $800. Thats alot to pay to people who cant reply email enquiries. I have given up on them.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
I'm not sure why you chose aquaponics over Ken Hargesheimer's method - no till and drip buckets for watering? I guess I missed that discussion - this question is for Joanne, please - thanks.
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Ginger :)
Ginger, we havent chosen it over Kens methods. NO.no no, Kens methods rule. lol,aquaponics is being looked at for fish production as well as vegetable growing at the same time. Fish used to be affordable in Uganda compared to meat but now its cost has increased and the poor persons diet has suffered. Inland fish farming is being encouraged but uses alot of peoples land which would have been used for farming, hence the idea of simple backyard Aquaponics so that even the person with less land can afford a simple system to provide fish and vegetables for the home kitchen and what is grown on the land becomes for sale.In Aquaponics food is grown organically and since food for the fish is expensive, the farmers practice organic methods of vermiculture so they can feed the worms to the fish and the worm liquid is used as fertilizer for the crops in the field and the worm casts are used for fertilizer and growing medium too when using wicking beds. Hence from one small farming method the farmers are encouraged to practise organic methods as they see the immediate benefits that they can spread around the farm( manure).
Basically, we are looking at different methods of farming and the benefits that come with them too. It is said that crops grown on quater an acre in aquaponics yield 9 -10 times more than those on land and faster. it can also be done in a small space. We generally want to know more about all agricultural technologies so that when the time comes and a farmer wants to start up such a venture, we are able to advise them.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
Joanne, this diagram shows the tubes which provide the growing space for the plants:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kiwWdODqX6M/Si_j3uaTurI/AAAAAAAABAQ/vBDnNTTkjd...
These tubes could be PVC or bamboo.
Regarding your other query about flow through gravity to avoid use of expensive pumps, I can think of the following:
The image through the link above shows only one unit comprising of one fish section and one plant section. This arrangement uses one pump.
Now assume that you have a bank of alternating plant sections and fish sections, each placed at a lower level with respect to the previous section only to allow water flow by gravity, and also staggered horizontally to allow some height for the plants to grow.
In this arrangement you will need only one pump at the last section outlet to pump the water back to the first section inlet.
Hence, the arrangement becomes something like this:
(highest level) plant 1 -- fish 1 -- plant 2 -- fish 2 -- plant 3 -- fish 3 -- plant 4 -- fish 4 -- plant 5 -- fish 5 -- and so on -- plant xx -- fish xx (lowest level) -- pump back to plant 1
Through this arrangement you need only one pump for several beds.
I cannot think of any arrangement where a pump is not required, since the water has to flow in a closed circuit and the water that flows down through gravity will need a pump to get back to the highest section again (only water required from outside the circuit is to makeup for loss through evaporation, or draining etc).
The arrangement that you have asked for in you post under the title needs continuous flow through the tubes for plants. The pump has to work continuously in this arrangement, and hence a bicycle pump cannot be used.
There are other arrangements where continuous flow is not required, but even here the pump may have to work for 15 minutes and stop for 45 minutes, or some such cycle. Hence even in these arrangements, it is not practical for a bicycle pump to be used, since any failure in timing could result in high toxicity levels in water for the fish, or the plants suffering, or both.
Let me know your further questions.
Vijai
Thanks Vijai u r quite right dont know what other alternative is there. Guess also a treadle pump requires the same attention, to much hassle.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
Joanne,
You are right, the treadle pump needs to be operated by a person, and is not a suitable option where water is to be pumped at all hours of day and night. A motorized pump will certainly be required. At the most, efforts could be made to select an option where the expenses for the pump are low and power consumption is low, as explained in my last post above (providing one common pump for the whole series).
Aquaponics has got a serious start only after 2007, and a good deal of innovation is still being done. It would be a good idea if you could install a demonstration bed through which you could get the farmers interested in your region. Innovation is necessary at all stages to keep costs low, and the yields high. For any particular design to take off, you may have to keep a demonstration bed working for at least a year under all conditions of weather. As you progress, you may have to modify something or the other to optimize the operations. In about a year, you will be in a good position to ascertain if you wish to go ahead with it, or to abandon it.
Vijai
http://www.aqua.stir.ac.uk/development/
The University of Stirling has a top class acquculture research centre which even the Scottish Government and the Department for International Development (UK) asks for advice on occassion. They publish some stuff online and contributed to the "millenium goals" laid out by the UK government in 2005 for development. If you can't find suitable information on this site, I'm sure they would also have contact lists for academics in acquaculture on the main (www.stir.ac.uk) University website, who might be able to offer some suggestions about what systems could be used or where you could access the relevant information.
I hope this is of assistance.
Best Wishes
Deborah
(Scotland)
Thank you Deborah. We are in communication with Mr William L of the same university and Sarnissa website.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
Thanks for involving me in this meeting/training. It was very useful for conceptualisation and i believe something tangible will be done about it. I also received 10K for the tobacco seeds. Hope i will be able to find them for you.
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Stanley Okurut
Thank you too for attending. The 10K is for the tobacco seeds i offered, remember the issue in your village of snakes & rabbit keeping? On the same issue, i think the link below may help with info about rabbit keeping.
http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/view/653/the-ndekero-challenge-a-system...
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
We would like to thank you all for your various contributions to this task. Due to the limited time required for this task, we have not been able to fully explore the potential however a barrelponics system is being put in place as training is done too and pictures will be posted on here when finished. However, we will continue to research various ways in which we can adapt this technology.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
In a bid to make aquaponics as cheap as possible, we have managed to contact Dr Bonnie of Ahava Foundation who is willing to help. We will update you when there is more progress.
In the meantime, we are also looking into simplified hydroponics or known as popular hydroponics by Dr Peggy Bradley. So far it has been the cheapest as locally available herbs as a nutrient solution and no electricity is required.
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Yours in Service
JIS Birungi
Hi Joanne,
This acquaponics is it now working in your village.
Jeremy Ecle
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