Caracterización morfofisiológica de macrófitas flotantes del piedemonte araucano expuestas a efluentes de cultivo de tilapia roja (Oreochromis sp.) y su potencial en acuaponía: Morphophysiological characterization of floating macrophytes from the Arauca piedmont exposed to effluents from red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) culture and their potential in aquaponics

Nelson Cervantes; Edith González Afanador

Authors

Nelson Cervantes Universidad de la Salle
Edith González Afanador Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Keywords:

Aquatic plants, ammonia, aquaponics, phytoremediation, relative growth

Abstract

Floating aquatic plants have demonstrated efficacy in phytoremediation; however, their use in aquaponic systems has been poorly documented, limiting the exploitation of their ecological and functional potential. In this context, it was hypothesized that floating macrophytes exhibit differences in growth performance and root development under changing aquaculture effluent conditions. A quantitative experimental study was conducted under real-system conditions to evaluate the performance of six floating macrophyte species (Salvinia sp., Azolla sp., Hydrocharis laevigata, Pistia stratiotes, Eichhornia crassipes, and Lemna sp.) exposed to tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) effluent. The effluent was characterized by stable total ammonia nitrogen levels (5.2–5.4 mg L⁻¹), acidic pH (5.7), limited dissolved oxygen (1.0 mg L⁻¹), and temperatures ranging from 24 to 28 °C. Relative growth rate (RGR) based on biomass and absolute root elongation was measured over a 14-day period. Azolla sp., Salvinia sp., and Lemna sp. exhibited the highest growth rates (RGR > 0.12 g g⁻¹ d⁻¹), whereas E. crassipes, H. laevigata, and P. stratiotes showed slower growth. However, E. crassipes exhibited significantly greater root elongation (>30 cm) compared to the limited root development observed in the other species (<2 cm). The results support the proposed hypothesis and reveal differences in morphophysiological responses among species, associated with contrasting growth strategies under conditions of high nitrogen load and low oxygen availability. Therefore, it is concluded that floating macrophytes differ significantly in their functional performance, suggesting their potential for evaluation in future studies focused on nutrient removal and solid retention.

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Morphophysiological characterization of floating macrophytes from the Arauca piedmont exposed to effluents from red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) culture and their potential in aquaponics