The USDA-funded Commercial Trial conducted by Boone Mora happened on the heels of the iAVs research conducted by Dr Mark R McMurtry…and confirmed the commercial potential of the method.
iAVs NC Commercial Demo Project, USDA/Mora/Garrett, 1992-93;
—[ by total novices, under poor to fair conditions, very (too) LOW v:v ratio. ]
- Total area 929 m2, FT 200 m3, Tilapia yield 22,700 kg/yr (first ‘try’)
- Hort. area (min.) 400 m2 total, 264 m2 net, 1,056 plants @ 4/m2
- Fruit (mix Cucumber, Pepper, Tomato) : greater than 45,400 kg/yr (45 MT)
- 2016 estimated wholesale value $325k/yr ($350 m2/yr)
BUT Adjusting to the suggested baseline ratios
i.e., v:v (1:2+), v:a (1:6+), (feed-fish):fruit (1:7+)
that 22.7k kg fish, (i.e.~30k kg feed, to Pmf 250g in <120 days 3x/yr or 350g <180 days 2x/yr)
– is enough TAN and excrement to grow
- 8,000 to 10,000 indeterminate tomato plants (on 12 mo cycle) (9,000 applied below)
- (or 3 times that if a 4-month crop interval 3x/yr, and/or equivalent crops)
2016 estimated US ‘organic’ bulk wholesale valuations:
- tilapia (live): 22.7k kg x $3.30/kg = $75k/yr
- No. 1 ‘organic’ tomato: 170k kg x $5.5/kg = $935k/yr
- No. 2 ‘organic’ tomato: 40k kg x $3.5/kg = $140k/yr
- Total above (without intercrops etc) = $1,150k ($300/m2/yr)
At 2015 Philly Terminal wholesale prices.
- Organic No 1 @ $6.90/kg -10% = $6.20/kg (> $1,056k)
- Organic No 2 @ $4.80/kg – 10% = $4.35/kg (> $174k)
- Total w/ fish $1,305k or $343/m2/yr)
- w/ very hi-tech GH with intercrops from $450 to 500/m2/yr)
- … + 30-50% or more when retailed, direct-marketed, NTM value-added processing
-o0o-
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