Chana and Sare check hundreds of tiny seedlings that peek out from white tubes in their greenhouse in Kratie province, in the Lower Mekong River region of Cambodia. The leaves are small, but the couple are cautiously optimistic about the plants' success—and about the aquaponics pilot project in which they're participating.
The project uses an aquaponics method where aquaculture—fish farming—meets hydroponics—growing vegetables without soil. Chana and Sare raise fish in tanks while growing vegetables suspended in tubes of water. The waste the fish produce is a natural fertilizer for plants. Nutrient-rich water from the fish tanks is circulated to irrigate the vegetables, and the plants in turn filter the water that returns to the fish tanks.
Just add water
"I didn't believe that vegetables can be grown in water," said Chana. "I thought at the beginning that it will not be possible. But after we studied and trained—it is possible. Now we can share this information with other people."
Since starting the project in August 2022, Chana and Sare's family—and two other participating families—have grown spinach, a variety of salad greens, collard greens, and cauliflower.
Prior to that, the vegetables their family consumed came from either the market—a 30-minute boat ride each way—or their own soil garden. The latter requires fertilizers and pesticides, manual plowing, and carrying water by hand. Greenhouse seedlings, by contrast, don't need chemicals or manipulation of the soil—because there is none. Once seeds sprout, the seedlings are placed in small square sponges and left to grow.
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