Growth dynamics and yield of radicchio and lettuce in floating aquapon

Akvapon je zatvoreni sustav koji kombinira recirkulirajuću akvakulturu i hidroponiku. U vremenu klimatskih promjena, ograničenih resursa vode te značajnog smanjenja biljnih i ribljih vrsta, akvaponi predstavljaju ekološki prihvatljiv i ekonomski isplativ način uzgoja. Primarni cilj akvapona je iskoristiti nutrijente ispuštene od strane riba u akvakulturnom uzgoju za proizvodnju biljaka namijenjenih prvenstveno za ljudsku ishranu. Istraživanje je provedeno kao pilot projekt u svrhu ispitivanja mogućnosti introdukcije akvaponskog uzgoja i popularizacije istoga u Hrvatskoj. Cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi dinamiku rasta radiča i salate u plutajućem akvaponu u odnosu na hidroponski sustav plutajućih ploča (plutajući hidropon). Istraživanje je provedeno u ljetnom razdoblju 2014. godine na pokušalištu Maksimir Agronomskog fakulteta u Zagrebu. Pokus je postavljen po split-plot metodi u tri repeticije, a uključivao je po dvije sorte salate ('Great Lakes' i 'Vegorka') i radiča ('Tržaški salatnik' i 'Palla Rossa'). Morfološka svojstava biljaka (ukupna masa, masa i duţina korijena, masa i visina nadzemnog dijela, broj listova i dužina najdužeg lista) mjerene su tijekom uzgoja u pet navrata te je provedena statistička analiza podataka. Statistički opravdane razlike utvrđene su u morfološkim svojstvima istraživanih vrsta uzgajanih u različitim sustavima uzgoja. Značajno veće vrijednosti svih mjerenih parametara, osim broja listova i mase korijena, zabilježene su u plutajućem hidroponu. Aquaponic is a closed system that combines a recirculating aquaculture and hidroponics. At a time of climate changes, limited water resources and significient reduction in plant and fish species, aquaponic present an environment frinedly and cost effective way of growing. The primary goal of aquaponic is to use nutrients released by breeding fish in aquaculture for production od plants intended primarily for human consumtion. The research was conducted as a pilot project with the purpose of introduction aquaponic breeding and popularization of the same in Croatia. The aim of this research was to determine the growth dynamics of the radicchio and lettuce in floating aquapon in realation to the floating hydroponics. The research was conducted in at trial field Maksimir at Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb summer growing period of 2014. The experiment was set according to split plot design in three repetitions and included two varieties of lettuce ('Great Lakes' and 'Vegorka') and radicchio ('Tržaški salatnik' and 'Palla Rossa'). Morphological traits of plants (total weight, root weight and length, the mass and height of shoot, number of leaves and length of the longest leaf) were analyzed five time during the growing period and statistical analysis was conducted. Significant differences were found in the morfological characteristics of the studied species grown in different production systems. Significantly higher values of all measured parameters, except for the number of leaves and root mass, were recorded in the floating hidroponics.