Salicornia europaea Cultivation Using RAS Effluent in Decoupled Aquaponic System

Salicornia europaea is cultivated using recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) effluent in a decoupled aquaponic setup within the AQUACOMBINE project. The system integrates rainbow trout farming (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at 45–50 kg/m³ density with halophyte production, using a nanoRAS unit with drum filter, gas balance chamber, and biofilter. RAS effluent, with salinity 14–16 ppt and nitrate 45–125 mg/l (avg. 70 mg/l), is pumped to the aquaponic unit. pH is maintained at 7.0–7.5 in RAS and 7.7–8.0 in aquaponics. Four batches of Salicornia were transplanted after four weeks, achieving 9.25 kg biomass (0.58 kg/m²), 12× lower than artificial fertiliser cycles. Premature flowering suggests micronutrient deficiencies or pH effects; supplementation is recommended for optimisation.