Agri Kultuur October / Oktober 2014 | Page 23

need to bend over when working a grow bed. To top things off, the technology is consistent with the three R’s for protecting the environment, (i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle) and people can easily become engaged in this national movement by producing their own food aquaponically. Is this the spark for another green revolution? Can we revitalise agriculture in our country by raising awareness establishing aquaponics as part of the normal curriculum inside the classroom? Certainly it is an opportunity. System specifications Grow beds 44 Dutch Buckets 18 NFT System (2 Frames) 566 holes Pumps 2 x 22,000L/H Fish Tanks 4 x 2800L each Swirl Filters 4 x 220L each Sump Tank 6000L Remote monitoring and alarms GSM Commander Biofiltration 17,2 m3 Click here to view a video about Japie’s Aquaponics project. Media Type 13mm white gravel http://youtu.be/xYs7iTLvR5o Plants Fish Species (Individual tanks) Tilapia, cat fish, koi and gold fish Various vegetables according to SFIA requirements Heat insulation: Critical to many facets of agriculture Heat insulation: Critical to many facets of agriculture H eat influences many aspects of optimal farming, particularly if there is either too much or too little, and most particularly if expensive mechanical methods must be employed to control the heat within any given farming system. Heat management can positively influence output, and certainly the efficiency and thereby utilisation costs of inputs too. The role of insulation in farming is to assist in controlling heat flows: insulation either limits the impact of the weather and climate, providing an environment where people, animals and products can comfortably go about their business, or, insulation can be an integral part of an intensive farming system, critical to maintain the ideal conversion rate temperature. IsoBoard XPS is high density rigid extruded polystyrene board, ideal for use in most farming applications that require dependable heat management over the long term. IsoBoard has proven to be effective at protecting yield in sectors as diverse as wine maturation,