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Hydroponics and Aquaponics for Food Security in Jamaica

 What are Hydroponics and Aquaponics?


Aquaponics and hydroponics are both soilless, a substrate that is part of an artificial system of cultivation in which plants are grown without soil. Aquaponics involves the use of fish waste as nutrients for the plants. Hydroponics uses nutrient solutions mixed directly with water to grow the plants (Aquaponics,2023).


Aquaponics and Hydroponics offer several advantages in agriculture, which will improve food security in Jamaica.

Some key benefits include:
  • Hydroponics Needs No Soil: Hydroponics needs no soil. Land degradation is a problem facing agriculture in Jamaica. As soil degrades, it becomes more difficult to farm in it. Land degradation happens due to climate change, natural erosion and pollution, which is a problem in Jamaica. Land degradation results in soil with fewer nutrients and becomes less suited to grow healthy crops. Hydroponic crops don’t contribute to soil degradation, so they can help slow land degradation. They don’t rely on healthy topsoil for their nutrients so they aren’t affected by this, resulting in consistent crop production which aids in food security. 

  • Increased crop yield and faster growth: Aquaponics has shown an increase in crop production and faster growth of the plants and the fishes. This is a result of the optimal growing conditions provided by the aquaponic system. In aquaponics, plants have constant access to a nutrient-rich solution that allows them to grow faster and produce higher yields than traditional soil-based agriculture. Fish raised in aquaponics systems also grow more rapidly than in traditional aquaculture setups. The controlled environment, optimal water quality, and efficient nutrient transfer result in quicker growth rates, which means a faster turnover for fish production. 
  • Predictability and Seasonality : Most crops grow in certain climates and during specific seasons. Many factors contribute to crop yield. Drought, flood, or storm can destroy an entire field of crops and there is often nothing the farmer can do to stop it. Indoor hydroponic farms allow farmers to harvest predictable yields year-round, regardless of weather or climate. And since they’re protected from problems that can cause crop failure, the yields are far more predictable.



Vergeer, A. (2023, September 23). Aquaponics vs. hydroponics: What’s the difference? Go Green Aquaponics. https://gogreenaquaponics.com/blogs/news/hydroponics-with-fish-and-aquaponics#:~:text=Aquaponics%20and%20hydroponics%20are%20both,water%20to%20grow%20the%20plants.
Dupuis, A. (2024, April 4). 10 Benefits of Hydroponics in agriculture & Vertical Farming | Eden Green. Eden Green. https://www.edengreen.com/blog-collection/benefits-of-hydroponics
Vergeer, A. (2023, November 11). The benefits of aquaponics. Go Green Aquaponics. https://gogreenaquaponics.com/blogs/news/what-are-the-benefits-of-aquaponics
Soilless cultivation - What makes a good medium? | CANNA UK. (n.d.). https://www.canna-uk.com/what_makes_good_quality_soilless_growing_medium



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