Aquaculture Europe 2026

September 28 - October 1, 2026

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Add To Calendar 01/10/2026 14:45:0001/10/2026 15:00:00Europe/ViennaAquaculture Europe 2026AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE, MINERAL COMPOSITION AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BASIL Ocimum basilicum L. GROWN IN TROUT Oncorhynchus mykiss AQUAPONIC SYSTEMSUrska 1The European Aquaculture Societywebmaster@aquaeas.orgfalseDD/MM/YYYYaaVZHLXMfzTRLzDrHmAi181982

AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE, MINERAL COMPOSITION AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BASIL Ocimum basilicum L. GROWN IN TROUT Oncorhynchus mykiss AQUAPONIC SYSTEMS

Mohammed Elakrouch1*, Marouane Mohaddab23, Sarah Elmoussaoui4, Arthur Libault1, Ahmed Rachid5 and M. Haissam Jijakli1

1 Laboratory of Integrated and Urban Plant Pathology (LIUPP), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium

2 Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Molecules, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium

3 Laboratory of Agrifood and Health, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Hassan First University of Settat, BP 577, Settat 26000, Morocco

4 Department of Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

5 Laboratory of Innovative Technology, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 33 Rue Saint-Leu, 80000 Amiens, France

Email: mohammed.elakrouch@uliege.be

 



Aquaponic systems are promising sustainable food production technologies that integrate fish culture and plant cultivation. Their performance depends on balanced environmental conditions for fish, nitrifying bacteria and plants. This study evaluated the agronomic performance, mineral composition and essential oil profile of basil grown in a trout-based decoupled aquaponic system. Two cultivation strategies were compared over 60 days: a non-supplemented system relying exclusively on trout-rearing water and a system supplemented with mineral nutrients formulated according to the Hoagland solution. Basil grown without mineral supplementation maintained a healthy appearance and stable physiological status, with satisfactory growth, although biomass remained lower than in supplemented plants. The mineral profile showed comparable nitrate and phosphorus concentrations in non-supplemented and supplemented plants, with nitrate levels of 5.40 ± 0.29 and 5.52 ± 0.29 mg g-1, respectively, and phosphorus levels of 5.46 ± 0.23 and 6.14 ± 0.91 mg g-1, respectively. In contrast, potassium concentration was lower in non-supplemented plants (36.89 ± 3.31 mg g-1) than in supplemented plants (55.56 ± 7.16 mg g-1). Essential oil yield per cultivated surface area remained comparable between systems, reaching 2.96 and 3.09 mL m-2 in the supplemented and non-supplemented systems, respectively. GC-MS analysis showed that linalool (about 24%) was the predominant compound in both systems. Estragole content was markedly higher in non-supplemented plants (21.35 ± 1.46%) than in supplemented plants (5.24 ± 0.68%). These results show that trout-based decoupled aquaponics can support satisfactory basil production while enhancing essential oil accumulation and modulating aroma-related composition, making this approach a promising sustainable strategy for aromatic plant cultivation.