Aquaponia: Produção de Capim Floralta e Amendoim Forrageiro Integrado á Produção de Tambaqui.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of tambaquis (Colossoma macropomum), water quality, production of the Floralta grass (Hemarthria altíssima, cv. Floralta) and forage peanut (Arachis pintoi) in an aquaponic production system. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replicates. Each unit consisted of a 1.0 m3 tank interconnected to a hydroponic unit of 0.2 m2 , in a water recirculation system. The treatments were constituted by units whose hydroponic system was used in the cultivation of the Floralta grass, forage peanut, Floralta grass intercropped with forage peanut, and without plant. The tanks were populated by juveniles of tambaqui stocked at a stocking rate of 25 fish m-3 . The forage plants were cultivated by vegetative propagation, and tambaqui nursery water was the only source of nutrients (without liming and / or fertilization) during the experimental period. Tambaqui performance parameters (mean weight, weight gain (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, alkalinity and total ammonia) and plant production (green mass, dry mass, components: leaf, stem, dead material and root, leaf: stem ratio and shoot ratio: root) in four crop cycles. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% of significance. There was no difference in animal performance (p > 0.005). Variations in water quality parameters were observed throughout the cycles (p < 0.01), however they did not differ between treatments. Larger agronomic production was obtained by the single and intercropped Floralta grass (p < 0.01). It was concluded that the use of Floralta grass, forage peanut, Floralta intercropped with forage peanut cultivated in a hydroponic system, integrated in the tambaqui production and in a closed water recirculation system, did not influence the performance parameters of tambaqui, nor the quality of water. Under the conditions of the study, greater plant production can be obtained with the use of the Floralta grass, and its production is not affected by the consortium with forage peanut, but the cultivation in a consortium is detrimental to the peanut production.