The Aquaponics Association established an open line of communication with members designed to collect and publish research needs of producers. The Association maintains an interactive web site for producers to present and discuss issues, seek help from experienced producers and for companies to make producers aware of their products. Member research needs were solicited twice in the past year via the open forum. This will be an iterative process, conducted twice per year. Members research needs included nutrient databases, dietary inputs, microbial ecology, bacterial preservatives, complete understanding of artificial ecosystems (fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.) , Si/Ca/pH and shelf life of plants, species combinations, feed ingredients in diets, feeding rates and resulting flow of nutrients , c omparison of inputs/outputs between aquaponics, hydroponics, and aeroponics, alternative water movement options, renewable energy and intermittent energy usage, and microbial inoculants . The list of needs is not currently prioritized, but can serve as a source of justification for research efforts and a means of connecting stakeholders and research groups. The identified needs encompass all three taxa in a typical aquaponic system; animal, bacteria and plants. However, aquaponic subsystems vary significantly and standardized research approaches appear limited in the short-term, other than on a broad scale.
Much of the variation in systems occurs in the plant subsystem and the approach used to move water and nutrients between subsystems. Effective, efficient grow beds range from deep-water cultures, to thin films, and from constant flows to flood and drain water/nutrient movement. The physical component of plant subsystems ranges from floating rafts to Dutch buckets. Standardization of the plant subsystems in the short-term appears unrealistic as much of this diversity is in response to physical support needs of plants raised in aquaponic systems. Areas that can be standardized include:
R eporting of feed inputs, genetics/strains/varieties, water chemistry, and growth and production;
Ratios of subsystems;
Disciplinary specific norms, such as those expected in nutrition, genetics, physiology, and disease research