Optimizing Basil Aquaponics: Divergent Advantages of Nutrient Film and Deep‐Water Culture Systems

ABSTRACT Aquaponics, a symbiotic integration of aquaculture and hydroponics, represents a closed‐loop cultivation paradigm that augments resource‐use efficiency and sustainability in modern crop production. Basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.), a premium culinary and medicinal herb frequently adopted as a model species in aquaponic cultivation, has been investigated extensively in relation to nutrient and irrigation regimes; nevertheless, direct comparisons of plant performance under distinct system architectures remain scarce. Here, we present the first comprehensive evaluation of basil growth dynamics within nutrient film technique (NFT) and deep‐water culture (DWC) aquaponics, assessed at two phenological stages (40 and 70 days after sowing, DAS). A factorial experimental framework was implemented to quantify fish growth, basil biomass, water‐use efficiency (WUE), pigment profiles and biochemical attributes. Our findings demonstrate that NFT consistently conferred superior WUE, exhibiting increases of 45% and 49% relative to DWC at 40 and 70 DAS, respectively. In contrast, the DWC system fostered enhanced fish productivity, basil biomass accumulation, chlorophyll and carotenoid enrichment, and metabolite profiles, particularly pronounced at 70 DAS. Both designs exhibited a stage‐dependent decline in WUE, with reductions of 12.2% and 14.4% for NFT and DWC, respectively. Collectively, these results underscore the divergent functional advantages of NFT and DWC aquaponics and deliver critical insights for tailoring system design to maximize basil productivity and resource efficiency in water‐limited agroecosystems.