Aquaponic production of strawberries: Influence of boron and media on their mineral and sugar composition

Summary

Abstract Strawberries can fetch high market prices, but this is often based on their sweetness. Previous studies have shown that sugar content in fruits is elevated by boron (B), but this has not been tested on strawberries in an aquaponic system. In this study, strawberries were aquaponically cultured with or without B supplementations and with or without media (2 × 2 factorial design) over 2 months. Each of the six identical aquaponic units contained 30 catfish juveniles (initial weight = 2.1 g) and two plant culture units; one with a floating raft (without media) and one with expanded lava rock (with media). Borax was the source of B, which was weekly added at 0.01 mg/L. Water quality and fish growth were unaffected by B additions. Total number of strawberries and their total weights we