The UVI feed-rate ratio — the design number that matters most
The University of the Virgin Islands long-term commercial trials produced the design heuristic still used worldwide: 60–100 g of fish feed per m² of raft growing area per day for leafy greens, and 80–120 g/m²/day for fruiting crops. This single number determines tank size, plant area and biofilter capacity together.
Peer-reviewed yield benchmarks
Long-running UVI commercial-scale data: annual yields of 5 tonnes of tilapia and 1 400 cases of lettuce (~22 tonnes) from a single 0.05-ha system. Endut et al. (2010) showed that optimal hydraulic loading and a fish-to-plant biomass ratio near 1:7 maximised nitrogen removal and yield in a recirculating aquaponic system.
Where aquaponics wins — and where it doesn't
- Wins: water use (~90 % less than soil), zero synthetic NPK, two complementary income streams, lower disease risk than monoculture, climate-resilient under tunnels.
- Doesn't: a single pH compromise must serve fish, bacteria and plants; iron and calcium often need supplementation; initial capital and learning curve are higher than soil farming or pure hydroponics.
“Aquaponics, when designed against the feed-rate ratio and stocked conservatively, is the most water- and nutrient-efficient food-production model documented in the peer-reviewed literature.”
— Goddek et al., 2019
References
- Rakocy et al., 2006 (UVI/SRAC 454). Rakocy, J.E., Masser, M.P., Losordo, T.M. (2006). Recirculating Aquaculture Tank Production Systems: Aquaponics — Integrating Fish and Plant Culture. SRAC Publication No. 454. link
- Endut et al., 2010. Endut, A., Jusoh, A., Ali, N., Wan Nik, W.B., Hassan, A. (2010). A study on the optimal hydraulic loading rate and plant ratios in recirculation aquaponic system. Bioresource Technology 101(5): 1511-1517. link
- Goddek et al., 2019. Goddek, S., Joyce, A., Kotzen, B., Burnell, G.M. (Eds.) (2019). Aquaponics Food Production Systems. Springer (open access). link
- Somerville et al., 2014 (FAO 589). Somerville, C., Cohen, M., Pantanella, E., Stankus, A., Lovatelli, A. (2014). Small-scale aquaponic food production. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 589. Rome, FAO. link
- Tyson et al., 2011. Tyson, R.V., Treadwell, D.D., Simonne, E.H. (2011). Opportunities and challenges to sustainability in aquaponic systems. HortTechnology 21(1): 6-13. link
Every number on this page is sourced to one of the references above. Nothing is AI-generated or unverified — if a claim can't be traced to a peer-reviewed paper, FAO/UVI technical report or major university extension, it doesn't appear here.