Merging the best of the Green and Blue Revolutions : Integrating aquaculture with agriculture Kevin Fitzsimmons University of Arizona, Professor World Aquaculture Society, Past-President American Tilapia Association, Sec./Tres.

Global food crisis F Rapidly increasing population F Diversion of foods to fuels F Increased costs for water, fertilizer, fuel F Multiple demands for farmland (urban sprawl, industrial and mining, solar and wind generation, wildlife conservation, watershed protection, etc.) F Need for second generation biofuels

Need new model for food production F Green Revolution – huge increase in food production, but heavy reliance on irrigation, fuel and fertilizer F Blue Revolution – almost 50% of seafood is farm raised, but many environmental impacts (effluents causing eutrophication, algae blooms, cage conflicts with other users in oceans, bays and lakes)

Green Revolution Benefits F Large increases in yield F Improved varieties Needs F Increased demand for trained specialists F Sophisticated farmers Costs F Large demand for fertilizer F Increases in irrigation (area, amount, frequency) F Less “organic” F More pollution Needs F More education & training

Blue Revolution Benefits F Large increases in seafood yield F Domesticated stocks Needs F Increased demand for trained specialists F Sophisticated farmers Costs F Demand for feeds with fishmeal F Demands for clean water (volume and surface area) F Diseases and parasites F Effluent pollution, algae Needs F On-land farms F More education & training

Historical perspective F Traditional farming around the world integrated livestock and crops F East and South Asian farmers have long tradition of integrating agriculture and aquaculture F Asian sustainable farming systems support huge populations F Fish – vegetable – rice (complex carb) diet is suggested by most nutrition experts

Historical perspective F Modern agriculture cannot follow Asian model of small-farm integrated systems (gardening) F We need an industrial version merging aqua- and agri- cultures F Taking the best of the Green and Blue Revolutions

Green Revolutions weaknesses are Blue Revolutions needs and vice-versa 1. Fertilizer demand 2. Increase in irrigation 3. Chemical fertilizers pollute groundwater 4. Industrial crops with by- products 1. Aquaculture effluent rich in N and P 2. Fish grow well in irrigation water 3. Fish wastes are slow release, organic 4. Fish feeds need alternatives for fish meal and oil

Models F Arid lands F Tropical lands F Tropical coastal F Temperate lands F Marine

Arid Integrated Systems F Tilapia Grapes, wheat, olives, barley, sorghum, cotton, melons, peppers

Data report – Tilapia effluents irrigating cotton F Water pH reduced from 8.3 to 8.0 F Added 19.7 kg/ha total N during one crop.

Olives with aquaculture effluent Olives with well water

Data report -Olives irrigated with effluent

Tropical Inland Integrated Systems F Tilapia oil palm, rice, sugar cane

Coastal Integrated Systems F Shrimp / fish Halophytes and seaweeds

Fish-shrimp-halophytes Eritrea

Shrimp and Salicornia (halophyte)

Temperate Integrated Systems F Carpvegetables F Catfishsoybeans, corn F Troutalfalfa, vegetables F Aquaponics

Marine Integrated Systems F Salmon kelps, nori, mussels F Shrimpseaweeds and oysters F Fishseaweeds, bivalves

Shrimp/fish and edible seaweeds

Data report - Daily growth rates of Gracilaria with shrimp effluent over 4 weeks % growth per day

Why Tilapia ? F Second most important farmed fish after the carps F Most widely grown of any farmed fish F In 2007 moved up to fifth most popular seafood in the US

What’s needed next? F Large scale investment F Best technologies of ag and aqua F Economies of scale F Governmental consideration F Trained production staff and semi-skilled farming staff

Multiple use of Water Gila Farms, AZ