Cheyney University News October 1, 2015 AP Bio and Environmental Science Students Learn About Hydroponics at Cheyney University Courtesy Church Farm School Dr. Wendy Roberts' AP Biology students along with Jeff Holton's Environmental Science students, all from Church Farm School, a boys school in Exton, PA, visited Cheyney University's Aquaculture Research and Education Center on September 29. Organized by new cottage faculty member and recent Cheyney University graduate Aisha Harris and led by her former advisor, Biology professor Dr. Steven Hughes, the field trip provided the students with insight into how an aquaponics system works. They were even treated to a viewing of "Oasis in Space" in the university's new planetarium. Cheyney's hydroponic greenhouse is a collaborative agreement between the University and Herban Farms, LLC, which uses the space to commercially produce basil. The University uses the facility for student training, conducting research on the economics of the system and on biological methods to increase the efficiency of production for both crops. In essence, Dr. Hughes says, the fish, in this case tilapia, produce waste which is naturally removed from the system by the basil plants and transformed back into clean water. Tilapia were selected based on their similar tolerance to basil - which needs a steady climate of 78 degrees. Hughes said the basil is grown to 12 to 15 inches and harvested. "It would take three acres of dry land and about 12 weeks to grow this amount of basil," Hughes explained, noting that in the greenhouse, as many as 600 dozen plants are harvested each week in the 12,000 sq ft space. The Church Farm School hopes to utilize this experience for its own hydroponics/aquaponics system on campus. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.