Compatative study of growth of money plants (Epipremnum ssp.) within aquaponics system and harbeceous stem cutting method

Introduction

The cultivation of decorative plants, like the money plant (Epipremnum aureum), has surged in popularity owing to its visual charm and simplicity of maintenance. It is a perennial, herbaceous shrub commonly grown as an ornamental plant (Lalitha et al. 2010) [6] , with Epipremnum aureum and E. pinnatum being the most commonly cultivated species. Species of Epipremnum are frequently grown as ornamental foliage and find extensive use in interior landscaping globally (Chen et al. 2005) [3] . Conventionally, these plants are nurtured in soil within pots. It can also be cultivated in water-based systems through a vegetative propagation technique known as herbaceous stem cutting (Parmar et al. 2024). [9] Nevertheless, as interest in sustainable agricultural practices rises, alternative cultivation methods such as aquaponics have captured attention for their ability to enhance plant growth while reducing resource consumption. There are studies concerning the growth of the money plant in aquaponics, as this plant has a remarkable capacity to absorb toxic effluents for its development (Yadav et al. 2021) [14] which is important for an aquaponics system. Aquaponics system, which integrates aquaculture with hydroponics, establishes a closedloop system that supplies plants with nutrient-rich water sourced from fish tanks, and the plant, by absorbing these nutrients, helps maintain a clean aquarium. Many households keep the money plant in bottles indoors to promote its growth. This research aims to compare the growth performance of varieties of money plant (E. aureum 'Linden and Andre', E. aureum 'Neon' and E. aureum 'N'Joy') within an aquaponics system against the herbaceous cutting method, concentrating on essential growth metrics such as stem length, leaf number, root length and biomass.

Materials and Methods

Cuttings of three money plant (Epipremnum aureum) varieties 'Linden and Andre', 'Neon', and 'N Joy' were procured from an agricultural store in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India as depicted in Figure 1. The cuttings were kept in beakers filled with tap water for one week to allow root initiation before transplantation. The experiment was conducted for 56 days under two treatments: an aquaponics system (APS) and the herbaceous stem cutting method (HSCM). The aquaponics system was fabricated following the approach of Pagar et al. (2025) [13] , with nine (3 cutting of each variety) rooted cuttings planted in such a way that plants were spatially separated to avoid vertical and horizontal overlap (Figure 2). The experiment followed a completely randomised design (CRD), with equal numbers of cuttings per variety and replication. For the HSCM, nine glass beakers of 500 ml capacity were used in replication. (Singh et al. 2019) [12] (Figure 3). Tap water with pH 7.1±0.2 was used, and water was replenished every 7 days to prevent nutrient depletion and algal growth. In both condition plants were maintained under indoor conditions (24±2 °C), and a 12 h light: 12 h dark photoperiod). Growth parameters, including stem length, leaf number, root length and biomass were recorded. Stem measurements were taken using a measuring scale (Medina et al. 2021) [7] , while the number of leaves was counted manually (Castro-Mejía et al. 2020) [2] at 14-day intervals. The root length was measured using a scale (Medina et al., 2021) [7] , and the fresh biomass of each plant was measured using a digital balance. Both parameters were recorded at the beginning and at the end of the experiment following the method of Rahman et al. (2021) [10] . The net gain in each growth parameter was calculated by comparing initial and final values. To ensure fair comparison, each species was evaluated separately, with growth parameters of the same species in the aquaponics system compared against those in the HSCM. Since the three varieties naturally exhibit different growth rates, no direct comparison was made between species. However, all three were planted together in the aquaponics unit, reflecting common household practice where multiple money plant varieties are grown in a single setup. The collected data for stem length and leaf number were analysed using SPSS version 21. Growth parameters were expressed as mean±standard error (SE). Independent sample t-tests were used to compare growth performance between APS and HSCM (Bakiu et al. 2017) [1] . A 95% confidence interval was used, and statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Absolute gain in the stem length, leaf number, root length and biomass was estimated. Results were graphically represented using bar charts and line graphs with error bars.

Epipremnum aureum (Linden & André)

Epipremnum aureum 'N'joy' Epipremnum aureum 'Neon'

Results

Stem Length

The stem length of all three plant varieties was measured, and it was observed that plants grown in the aquaponics system exhibited greater stem elongation compared to those in the HSCM. However, statistical analysis revealed significant difference for Epipremnum aureum 'Neon' and between the two systems and no significant difference for the rest of the species. The detailed measurements for each species are provided in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 4 a.

Leaf Number

Leaf counts were recorded for all replicates (Table 1). No statistically significant difference was observed in leaf numbers among the three species across the two systems. A slight increase in leaf number was recorded for E aureum (Linden & André) and E. aureum 'N Joy' in the aquaponics system, whereas E. aureum 'Neon' exhibited a higher gain in leaf number under the aquaponics system (Figure 4 b).

Root Length

Root length was measured at the beginning and end of the experiment as showcased in Table 1. The highest increase in root length was observed in E. aureum 'Neon' under the aquaponics system, where the method outperformed the HSCM (Figure 4 c). For the remaining species, root elongation was comparatively higher in the aquaponics system.

Plant Biomass

The biomass of all three plant varieties was recorded at both the start and the conclusion of the experiment see (Table 1; Figure 4 d). A greater increase in biomass was observed in plants grown under the aquaponics system compared to the HSCM.

Discussion

E. aureum are efficient in absorbing nutrients, particularly nitrogen and nitrate, as reported by Kankia et al. (2024) [5] . This makes them well-suited for aquaponic systems, which typically have higher ammonia and nitrate loads. In the present study, plants grown in aquaponics exhibited better coloration, vigour, and overall health compared to those grown in HSCM. Compared to HSCM, stem length rose greater in aquaponics. In contrast to E. aureum (Linden & André), which recorded 132.17% and 115.65%, respectively, E. aureum 'Neon' demonstrated a 120.96% rise in aquaponics compared to 66.87% in HSCM. These results are in line with those of Rahman et al. (2021) [10] , who found that aquaponic systems with fish exhibited more stem elongation than those without fish, which is similar to water-only systems. Leaf number also showed higher gains in aquaponics. (2021) [10] in the aquaponics system. Biomass accumulation was consistently higher in aquaponics in all the species. For example, E. aureum (Linden & André) gained 101.4% biomass in aquaponics compared to 88.27% in HSCM, while E. aureum 'N Joy' recorded 84% and 82%, respectively. Similar trends were reported by Rahman et al.

(2021) [10] , Mishra et al. (2024) [8] , and Clarkson & Lane (1991) [4] , who found significantly greater biomass production in aquaponics than in water-only systems.

In aquaponics, ammonia is converted into nitrite and then into nitrate, which is subsequently utilized by plants, The enhanced performance of aquaponics can be attributed to nutrient cycling, where fish waste provides ammonia that is converted to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria, serving as an essential nutrient for plants leading to more controlled nitrate levels (Rakocy et al. 2006) [11] . In contrast, HSCM relies solely on clean water, which lacks nutrient availability, resulting in reduced growth. The present study thus confirms that aquaponics not only improves nutrient uptake but also promotes microbial associations at the root zone, enhancing overall plant performance.

Conclusion

The study demonstrated that aquaponics provides a more favourable environment for the growth of money plant (Epipremnum aureum) varieties compared to the herbaceous stem cutting method. While root growth varied among varieties, aquaponics consistently promoted higher stem elongation, biomass accumulation, and overall plant vigour due to enhanced nutrient availability. These results highlight aquaponics as a sustainable and efficient alternative for cultivating ornamental plants, with potential benefits for household and indoor gardening practices.

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