Growing plants in an aquaponic plant together with a bacterial strain

The aim of this study was to investigate the cultivation of plants in an aquaponic system supplemented with a bacterial isolate with economically beneficial properties. The study involved co-cultivating long-season plants (eggplant, strawberry, and zucchini) with Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) in an aquaponic system from germination to harvest. A positive effect of the Serratia ficaria TP3 strain on seed germination was observed. Germination in the experimental groups exceeded control values by 1-3%. Growth stimulation resulted in an increase in strawberry stem length by 5.4% and fresh weight by 38.5%; for zucchini, these values increased by 3.73% and 3.26%, respectively. In the eggplant, stem length in the experiment was slightly lower than in the control (by 1.44%), and the wet weight was lower by 6.57%. Over the entire period, tilapia gained an average of 125.24 g of weight, which corresponds to a daily gain of 2.09 g or 0.97% per day, with a mass accumulation coefficient of 0.058 units. There were no fish mortalities, and the survival rate was 100%. Hydrochemical parameters were within the normal range: pH varied from 7.3 to 8.1 in the fish tank and from 7.3 to 7.8 in the plant tray; oxygen concentration was 7.8-8.8 and 7.3-9.0 mg/l, respectively. Water temperature was maintained at 25-26 °C. The nitrite content fluctuated in the range of 0.014-0.031 mg/dm³, nitrates – 18.5-51.45 mg/dm³.