Native and ornamental fish are helping to provide nutrients for a vegetable grower on the New South Wales mid-north coast.
Well-known vegetables along with more exotic types, including a leafy vegetable that tastes like wasabi, are being watered with nutrients supplied by the fish.
"The basis of our farm is the fish becoming the fertilising agents for our produce," former chef Luke Tutt explained, standing at the top of a hill beside several tanks.
Working alongside Mr Tutt is his brother, father and grandfather, who previously ran cattle on the property near Bowraville, 30km west of Nambucca Heads.
Each tank holds about 4,000 litres of water and contains eel-tailed catfish, native to the Murray-Darling river system, and bright orange Japanese koi.
Vegie farmer Luke Tutt feeds fish in several tanks. The fish supply water full of nutrients as part of his aquaponic farm operation.
The water in the tanks continually flows to plastic tubs similar in size to a single garden bed, filled with river pebbles.
"The nutrients are converted to fertiliser for our green leafy vegetables and produce that we grow here," Mr Tutt said.
Vegetables thrive in nutrient-rich set-up
As the water feeds into the beds filled with gravel, vegetables such as eggplant, baby tomatoes, basil and many others are thriving.
"The nutrient water gets pumped into the beds. The fish provide the nutrients," Mr Tutt said.
"The plants again filter the water and grow at an incredible rate in a natural ecosystem."
This all occurs under shadecloth, which at an initial glance is similar to a hydroponics set-up.
Water full of fish nutrients slowly works its way through river pebbles, providing nutrients for vegetables
"I don't understand it completely, but I just know the vegetables grow really well," Mr Tutt said.
Once the water has made its way through the different vegetable beds, it goes into a sump tank.
It is then filtered and pumped back up the hill to the tanks containing the fish, and then again through the system.
With the fish in effect acting like canaries in the mine, Mr Tutt said there were very few sprays that could be used.
"The water has to be pristine. If a chemical gets into the water, that goes through the whole recycling system," he said.
While the fish are just providing the nutrients at the moment, Mr Tutt is hoping to eventually supply fish to a nearby smoking operation.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-03-05/recycling-system-converts-fish-nutrients-into-fertiliser/9510226Bagikan Berita Ini
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