Response of germination and seedling growth of Jute plant (Corchorus olitorius L.) on three different substrates in the tilapia aquaponic system

Abstract

The merging of fish farming and crop husbandry in a mutual system forms aquaponics. In this system, the nature of the planting substrate plays a significant role in the germination, establishment, and growth of the plant. In the current experiment, the germination and growth of the Jute plant (Corchorus olitorius L.) in an aquaponics system with tilapia fish was investigated using three different substrate types: gravel, rice husk, and palm kernel shell. Five hundred-liter plastic tanks containing tilapia fingerlings at initial stocking densities of 250 fish m−3 were used. One gram of Jute seed was sown in a 1 m2 planting trough, which contained the three substrates separately in triplicates. The troughs were flooded with water from fish holdings by an aquarium pump. The germination percentage of the jute plant on gravel substrate (84%) and rice husk (72%) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to the palm kernel shell (55%). A lower velocity of germination was also recorded in the palm kernel substrate. The rates of growth in height (centimeters per day) of jute plant and fresh shoot biomass yield were significantly lower on palm kernel substrate (P < 0.05). Growth and yield parameters of jute showed comparatively higher agronomic efficiency of gravel and rice husk substrates compared to palm kernel substrates in this research. The results indicated that substrate nature significantly affects the germination and productivity of C. olitorius in aquaponic systems and that rice husk has the potential to serve as a planting substrate in aquaponics.

Keywords

• Amaranthus hybridus
• Aquaponics
• Growth
• Substrate