It doesn't look like much right now, but if you...

現在看起來和我們想像的不太一樣，不過…

Put it in the ground.

放到泥土裡。

Give it some water.

澆點水。

Fight off invaders and wait a little while...

鏟除入侵者，並等待一段時間…

After a few weeks, with a little luck, you might end up with a head of lettuce.

幾個星期後，再加一點點運氣，你會看到一顆生菜開始長出來。

That's a lot of work for a hundred calories.

這一百大卡的前置工序很多。

But what if we had an easier way of doing things...

那如果我們有更簡單的方法處理的話…

One that didn't require any soil, used much less water, and grew faster?

有沒有一個不需要泥土、使用更少的水又可以生長得更快的方法？

One where food could actually grow itself?

一個可以自己就會生長的食物呢？

By 2050, the world's population is expected to reach almost 10 billion people.

至 2050 年，世界人口預計將達 100 億。

That's a lot more mouths to feed.

要餵飽的人口可真不少！

But, only 11 percent of land is even suitable for agriculture.

但卻只有 11% 的土地適合農業發展。

So, farmers will have to turn to innovative and more efficient farming practices for a solution.

所以，農戶不得不轉向以創新、更有效率的耕作方法以解決問題。

One of the most promising is a method called aquaponics, which doesn't require any soil, and involves raising fish and plants together in a contained system.

目前一個最有前景的方法是「魚菜共生」，這種方法不需要泥土，可以透過一個密封式系統同時養殖魚及植物。

There are several different setups you can use, but here's how the most popular method works. -[Deep water culture system.]

可以有多種不同的設置，但以下這種裝配是最常見的。[深水栽培系統]

The process begins at the fish rearing tank.

整個過程是先從魚池開始。

Here, highly adaptable fish like tilapia, are given plenty of fish food, which also leads to plenty of waste.

這裡會有非常容易養殖的魚像是吳郭魚，因為會餵飼大量魚糧，所以會產生大量的廢物。

The solid waste is filtered out by flowing water, but the water—which is still full of ammonia from the fish excrement—is mixed with special plastic pieces.

這些固體的廢棄物透過流動的水濾出，但是水中仍然含有大量來自魚的排泄物的阿摩尼亞，會與這特殊的塑膠物料混合。

Naturally occurring bacteria grow on these surfaces, which helps convert the toxic ammonium in the water into nitrites and then nitrates.

自然滋生的細菌會在這個表面上長成，那些細菌有助把手中有毒的阿摩尼亞轉化成亞硝酸鹽，然後再轉化成硝酸鹽。

Nitrates are basically plant food.

硝酸鹽是植物最基本的養分。

So, the nutrient-rich water flows out into the growing area, where seedlings on floating rafts can absorb the food directly through their roots.

因此，含有大量營養的水流至生長區，浮在水上木排的蔬菜幼苗會透過根部吸收所需的食物。

No soil required.

完全不需要泥土。

Above them, energy-efficient LED lights are adjusted to provide the optimal color spectrum.

而且在植物的上方裝有可調節的節能 LED 燈以提供最佳色譜。

-All of this comes together, helping the plants grow up to twice as fast as land crops. -[Visible light spectrum, vegetative growth, flowering period.]

綜合以上，有助植物比一般土地農作物的成長速度快兩倍。

And because the plant roots purify the water, the cycle can start all over again.

再加上植物能淨化那些水，因此整個過程又可以再重新開始。

Commercial systems can yield up to 12 times as much produce per square foot as traditional farming methods.

這種商業系統每平方英尺的產量比傳統耕作方法最高可高達 12 倍。

Leafy greens like lettuce are the easiest crops to grow, but they often focus on more valuable herbs like basil and mint.

如生菜這類的多葉蔬菜是最容易栽種，不過他們反而會集中栽種羅勒和薄荷葉等更有價值的香草。

Aquaponics is one of the most sustainable agricultural systems, but it still has a long way to go before becoming a go-to farming method.

魚菜共生是最可持續發展的農業系統，但距離成為實際可行的耕作方法實在還有很長一段路。

New developments are continuing to make the process more customizable, automated, and efficient than ever.

新的發展將繼續使作業過程能比以往更客製化，自動化和高效能。

Who knows, in the future your salad might even be grown by a fish!

誰知道在不久的未來，你的生菜沙拉也許是由魚養殖出來呢！

What food would you grow in your aquaponic system?

不知道你們會透過魚菜共生系統種植什麼呢？

Let us know in the comments below.

歡迎在下面留言告訴我們！