US 5,121,708 AGranted

Hydroculture crop production system

OwnerDavid A. Nuttleinventor

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Abstract

This invention is a system for raising land and aquatic, plant and animal crops in a symbiotic-type polyculture using organic/sustainable methods of agronomy, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and hydroponics whereby yields are optimized while reducing production costs, conserving resources, and protecting the environment. Year-round production is also achieved by providing a canopy means along with additional environmental control and supplemental systems that increase yields in temperature zones normally having ambient temperature fluctuations too great to sustain production for more than a few months per year. Any number of cropping combinations are possible, but as an example, this system would establish a beneficial symbiotic-type production link between poultry, microalgae, fish and aquatic animals that consume algae, and vegetables or other land crops.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for the organic/sustainable production of land and aquatic, plants and animals, comprising:

organic water treatment to remove harmful chemicals and heavy metals;
a filtration means for utilizing organic nutrients in the form of animal manures;
inoculation of water with selected species of microalgae which provide a balanced diet for aquatic animals to include zooplankton;
a sloped water container having a bottom with drain and pumping means to move water, dead algae and aquatic animal waste to a hydroponic sandbed;
a sandbed with sloped bottom and level top, to filer container water so dead algae and aquatic animal waste remains in the root zone of land plants planted in the sandbed;
an organically sustained population of bacteria and other microorganisms to convert dead algae and aquatic animals wastes into organic plant fertilizer/nutrients;
a plumbing system with control means to provide for the scheduled and sequential flood irrigation of sandbeds with a pre-determined amount of water;
an environmental and contamination control means to sustain and enhance food/feed yields on a year-round basis despite ambient temperature fluctuations;
an inflatable floating ball canopy support means to aid the environmental and contamination control means for the water container with such container being used for aquatic plant and animal production;
and an organic an decontamination control means for eliminating pests and diseases in land and aquatic, plants and animals.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.