Root nitrification capacity of lettuce plants with application to aquaponics

Abstract Aquaculture and hydroponics have experienced significant growth and market presence in recent years. While aquaponics, the combination of fish and plant culture systems, is beginning to experience the same exponential growth and interest that hydroponics did many years ago, very little information is available on sizing and design of these systems. Incorporation of hydroponic plants with recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) aids in removal of ammonia/ammonium based wastes, thus reducing the need for water discharge to control water quality. Surface only nitrification rates were quantified to be 0.83g/m 2 /day for inert surfaces and 0.20/m 2 /day for root surfaces. Direct assimilation of ammonia by the lettuce plants was less than 2% of the total ammonia and ammonium nitrogen (TAN) removed from the culture water, with the remainder being removal by oxidation of TAN into nitrate.