Agronomic performance and nutritional properties of Sarcocornia Ecotypes grown in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system

Sarcocornia A. J. Scott is an edible halophyte with a high economic value due to its nutritional, organoleptic, and medicinal properties. This work determined the influence of different cultivation systems, applied to three S. perennis ecotypes collected in the Southern Portugal (SP1, Tavira; SP2, Faro; and SP3, Portimão) on its productivity and nutritional properties. Plants were cultivated in a greenhouse, in an IMTA system, in hydroponics, semi-hydroponics (cocopeat) and conventional cultivation (peat, coco peat and perlite (2:2:1) and irrigated with diluted aquaculture effluents at different salinities (35 mS/cm for SP1 and SP3; 30 mS/cm for SP2). The nutritional load of the used effluent was evaluated, along with the growth, survival, and nutritional profile of the cultivated plants. Cultivation of the ecotypes in the semi-hydroponics and conventional systems reduced the nitrate and nitrite content of the irrigation water. SP2 plants cultivated in the conventional cultivation system exhibited the highest productivity. The protein and ash levels were higher in plants cultivated in the hydroponics and conventional cultivation system, respectively. Our results suggest that cultivation of Sarcocornia ecotypes in an IMTA system is possible, and that results in terms of productivity and nutritional profile depend on the ecotype and cultivation system used.

Funding This work was funded by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology through projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020, LA/P/0101/2020, and PT-IL/0003/2019; PhD grants (2020.04541.BD: V C-L) and

UI/BD/151301/2121: EF); FCT program contract (UIDP/04326/2020: MJR) and FCT Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND/00425/2017: LC).

 

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2023