Partnership between Ifes and the Renova Foundation offered training to more than 160 people in Areal, Povoação, Regência and Entre Rios
Four communities in Linhares, Espírito Santo, participate in the pilot aquaponics project Cultivating for Fishing. Developed by the Renova Foundation in partnership with the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo (Ifes) – Piúma/FACTO campus, the initiative enables the integrated cultivation of vegetables and fish farming. Nine aquaponics tanks will be installed in each community, totaling 36. In this system, tilapia and lettuce will be cultivated, due to the great acceptance by consumers.
In Areal, operations tests were started. The system already has the completion of the hydraulic part and the completion of fish stocking, which is being monitored by the team. The next steps will consist of setting up the greenhouses (vegetable production system). Soon, the assembly of the system will be completed in Povoação and started in Regência and Entre Rios.
How it works
The aquaponics system allows the integration of the creation of aquatic organisms (aquaculture) with the cultivation of vegetables (hydroponics), through the use of water and effluent (waste) from aquaculture, used as a substrate for plants. The fish raised in tanks and fed with food release nutrient-rich waste that can be pumped to another part of the system, where the vegetables are. Thus, the roots of plants, grown in floating systems, remove nutrients and purify the water, which returns to the place where the fish are produced.
Training
Offering training to participants is part of the project. So far, 162 people have participated in courses in the four communities. Classes were held in Super intensive Fish Farming (four communities), Hydroponics (Entre Rios, Areal and Povoação) and Fish Processing (Areal). The courses on Mechanization and Automation of Cultivation and Cost and Price Formation will be given later this year by the executing team of Ifes/FACTO.