Algerian researcher Dr. Djelloul Abdelali and his colleague Omar Abdelbaset have developed a new mechanism to isolate and apply microbial strains to improve agricultural production, based on completely renewable energy.
The project aims to design an automated, remotely controlled smart house to manage most climatic factors affecting the growth of plants and animals, such as humidity, temperature, light intensity and quality. The researchers provided the solar house with solar energy and a camera to monitor and record all phases of growth of plants and animals within it.
Hydroponic cultivation
The greenhouse covers an area of six square meters and is coated with polycarbonate panels that allow the passage of light, withstands weather fluctuations, and the greenhouse is based on a hydroponic planting system; Essential plant needs, ranging from 12 to 16 elements, or planting the plant in an inert solid, does not react with the nutrient solution of the plant. In this way, the use of chemical fertilizers, which usually leak out of the surplus of the plant need, is eliminated. Hydroponic cultivation protects the plant from pests that may attack it from the soil, as in conventional agriculture.
The researchers introduced into the greenhouse a fish-based animal production system based on a dual aquaculture system, an integrated closed-loop between plants and fish, based on fish residues in plant nutrition, and feeding fish from plant nutrients added to water from calcium, potassium and nitrogen.
In Aquaponic, the plant takes the role of a biological refinery, fermenting fish waste and feed residues, producing nitrite, then fermenting into nitrate, and then to the deadly ammonia gas that kills fish life. Turning it into ammonia.
"To eliminate the toxicity of ammonia, we added bacteria that turn them into nitrates," Abdelali said in an exclusive interview with the Future Observatory.
Abdelali noted that the idea of the project stemmed initially from the problem of halting the development of agriculture in Algeria, and from their academic specialization, which dealt with important axes in the sector, including microbiology.
Abdelali said that the project objectives are diverse, economic, health, biological and social, as the production of greenhouse plants and animals is characterized by 100% natural biological, and our project seeks to conserve vital sources, such as water, soil and air, as well as the promotion of farming systems Family and residential communities, rural and urban, to achieve self-sufficiency of food, and promote the spirit of cooperation and conservation of the environment among the people ».
16 kinds of plants
In the past two years, the project has undergone several scientific applications and tests to reach satisfactory preliminary results and depend on them in the future. The first phase involved testing about 16 plant species, vegetables, fruits and medicinal herbs. He also won first place at the National Forum of Scientific Clubs, as the most promising student project in 2018, first place in the national competition of the Center for Research in Fishing and Aquaculture in 2018, and third place in the Innovation Competition of the city in 2018 in Guelma Province.
- The researchers provided the plastic house with solar energy and a camera to monitor and record all stages of growth of plants and animals inside it.