{"id":2366,"date":"2025-01-21T13:58:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T13:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frontagnexus.eu\/?p=2366"},"modified":"2025-01-21T14:41:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T14:41:32","slug":"narc-development-and-status-of-the-deir-alla-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frontagnexus.eu\/fr\/2025\/01\/21\/narc-development-and-status-of-the-deir-alla-pilot\/","title":{"rendered":"NARC: Development and Status of the Deir-Alla Pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Aquaponics-integrated RAS represents a cutting-edge approach to sustainable agriculture, combining fish farming and hydroponic plant cultivation within a completely closed-loop system. This integrated technique, commonly referred to as aquaponics, leverages the mutual relationship between aquatic animals and plants. Such systems are highly effective in water recycling, minimise waste generation, and enhance food production within a fully controlled environment.<\/p>

This blogpost provides a general overview of the development and operational aspects of the Deir-Alla Pilot of our partner National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC)<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Frontier Agricultural Technologies Implemented<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The integration of RAS with hydroponics incorporates advanced technologies that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. These include the following:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This water-efficient approach recycles and filters water continuously. In addition, it includes mechanical filtration to remove solid waste and\u00a0biological filtration to convert toxic ammonia into plant-usable nitrates. Lastly, it optimises conditions, such as water temperature and oxygenation, for fish health and productivity.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hydroponic System<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Plants in this system are cultivated in nutrient-rich water rather than soil, obtaining essential nutrients from fish waste, which fosters their growth. Various hydroponic techniques are employed to optimise conditions for different crops, for instance, deep water culture (DWC) and media-based systems, are effective for growing basil and cherry tomatoes. This method enhances plant growth rates while reducing water usage by up to 90% compared to conventional agriculture.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Automation (to be implemented soon)<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Sensors will soon be installed to continuously monitor key water parameters, such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, allowing for precise control over the aquatic environment. Until then, operations are managed manually. Additionally, automated valves are set to control water flow, which leads to minimising manual labor.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Integration<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Electricity for pumps, aeration systems, and automated sensors is supplied by solar panels, reducing dependency on fossil fuels. This system is already applied to the greenhouse hosting the RAS and hydroponics. Additionally, insulated tanks and greenhouse enclosures are used to improve temperature regulation, which further lowers energy consumption.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sustainable Practices<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Zero water discharge ensures no environmental impact, aligning with eco-friendly farming practices, such as organic fish feeding and natural pest management . Moreover, the system provides biodiversity by is integratiing multiple fish species and a variety of crops, creating a more sustainable agricultural environment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Construction and Development Process<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The establishment of the RAS-integrated hydroponics system followed several critical phases:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Site Selection and Planning<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Dier Alla Research Station<\/strong> was chosen as the optimal location due to strategic factors such as access to clean water and adequate sunlight (Figure 1).<\/p>

  • A modular design was adopted for scalability and ease of maintenance.<\/li>
  • Climate factors were analysed to include necessary temperature control measures.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    Figure 1. Map of the Demonstration Site in Deir Alla, Jordan<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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    Infrastructure Development<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The infrastructure development for the RAS and hydroponics system was carefully planned and these were the components used to achieve optimal performance: <\/strong><\/p>

    • Fish Tanks<\/strong>: Durable, food-grade materials (PVC) were used to construct the tanks, which can accommodate species like tilapia and trout. The tanks were covered with dark plastic to prevent algae growth (Figure 2).<\/li>
    • Hydroponic Beds<\/strong>: Floating rafts, nutrient film channels, and media-based grow beds were constructed to support a variety of crops (Figure 3).<\/li>
    • Filtration System<\/strong>: A multi-stage filtration system was implemented, including sediment filters and biofilters (Figure 4).<\/li>
    • Greenhouse<\/strong>: A climate-controlled greenhouse was designed to shield plants and fish from extreme environmental conditions.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      Figure 2. Fish Tank for Fish Growth During Installation<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Figure 3. Hydroponic Beds: A Soil-Free Cultivation System for Efficient Plant Growth floating and volcanic tuff media beds<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Figure 4. Multi-Stage Filtration System \u2013 Mechanical and Biological Components<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      System Integration<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      To integrate the components of our RAS and hydroponics system, close attention was given to the following areas:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>