Dr. Zala Schmautz

Personal profile

Position at the ZHAW

Research Associate

Expertise and research interests

Nutrient recycling in aquaculture and aquaponic systems
Water analysis and water chemistry

Educational background

MSc. in Sanitary Engineering (Public Health and Environmental Health Professional)
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Short term scientific mission (STSM) in COST action FA1035 (The EU Aquaponics Hub - Realising Sustainable Integrated Fish and Vegetable Production for the EU) at University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain

Projects

• Use an underground cavern for crop production in an economical and sustainable way? / Project leader / Project ongoing
• INtegrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa (INCiTiS-FOOD) / Project leader / Project ongoing
• AWACS – Animal Welfare Assessment and Control System for Fish Farms / Team member / Project ongoing
• LOFT – Local food for the future / Project leader / Project ongoing
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Kunming, China: Construction of prototype for cultivation of fish and vegetables / Deputy project leader / Project completed
• Characterization of nitrogen dynamics in an aquaponic system / Team member / Project completed
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Romania to benefit health and sustainable livelihood in deprived areas (AQUA-ROM) / Team member / Project completed
• CTI Gotthard water / Team member / Project completed

Publications

• Gartmann, Florentina; Hügly, Julian; Krähenbühl, Nikita; Brinkmann, Nadine; Schmautz, Zala; Smits, Theo H. M.; Junge, Ranka,

  2023.

  Bioponics – an organic closed-loop soilless cultivation system : yields and characteristics compared to hydroponics and soil cultivation.

  Agronomy.

  13(6), pp. 1436.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061436

• Schmautz, Zala; Walser, Jean-Claude; Espinal, Carlos A.; Gartmann, Florentina; Scott, Benjamin; Pothier, Joël F.; Frossard, Emmanuel; Junge, Ranka; Smits, Theo H. M.,

  2022.

  Microbial diversity across compartments in an aquaponic system and its connection to the nitrogen cycle.

  Science of the Total Environment.

  852(158426).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158426

• Schmautz, Zala; Espinal, Carlos A.; Smits, Theo H. M.; Frossard, Emmanuel; Junge, Ranka,

  2021.

  Nitrogen transformations across compartments of an aquaponic system.

  Aquacultural Engineering.

  92(102145).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaeng.2021.102145

• Schmautz, Zala; Espinal, Carlos A.; Bohny, Andrea M.; Rezzonico, Fabio; Junge, Ranka; Frossard, Emmanuel; Smits, Theo H. M.,

  2021.

  Environmental parameters and microbial community profiles as indication towards microbial activities and diversity in aquaponic system compartments.

  BMC Microbiology.

  21(12).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-020-02075-0

• Eck, Mathilde; Sare, Abdoul; Massart, Sébastien; Schmautz, Zala; Junge, Ranka; Smits, Theo H. M.; Jijakli, M.,

  2019.

  Exploring bacterial communities in aquaponic systems.

  Water.

  11(2), pp. 260.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020260

• Nicoletto, Carlo; Maucieri, Carmelo; Mathis, Alex; Schmautz, Zala; Komives, Tamas; Sambo, Paolo; Junge, Ranka,

  2018.

  Extension of aquaponic water use for NFT baby-leaf production : mizuna and rocket salad.

  Agronomy.

  8(5), pp. 75.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8050075

• Nozzi, Valentina; Graber, Andreas; Schmautz, Zala; Mathis, Alex; Junge, Ranka,

  2018.

  Nutrient management in aquaponics : comparison of three approaches for cultivating lettuce, mint and mushroom herb.

  Agronomy.

  8(3), pp. 27.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8030027

• Maucieri, Carmelo; Nicoletto, Carlo; Junge, Ranka; Schmautz, Zala; Sambo, Paolo; Borin, Maurizio,

  2018.

  Hydroponic systems and water management in aquaponics : a review.

  Italian Journal of Agronomy.

  13(1/1012).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2018.1012

• Nicoletto, C.; Maucieri, Carmelo; Schmautz, Zala; Borin, M.; Sambo, P.; Junge, Ranka,

  2018.

  Babyleaf NFT production and water management in aquaponic system.

  Acta Horticulturae.

  pp. 159-164.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.30

• Egloff, Sophia; Tschudi, Fridolin; Schmautz, Zala; Refardt, Dominik,

  2018.

  High-density cultivation of microalgae continuously fed with unfiltered water from a recirculating aquaculture system.

  Algal Research.

  34, pp. 68-74.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2018.07.004

• Schmautz, Zala; Graber, Andreas; Jaenicke, Sebastian; Goesmann, Alexander; Junge, Ranka; Smits, Theo H. M.,

  2017.

  Microbial diversity in different compartments of an aquaponics system.

  Archives of Microbiology.

  199(4), pp. 613-620.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1334-1

• Maucieri, Carmelo; Nicoletto, Carlo; Schmautz, Zala; Sambo, Paolo; Komives, Tamas; Borin, Maurizio; Junge, Ranka,

  2017.

  Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system.

  Agronomy.

  7(4), pp. 63.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy7040063

• Goddek, Simon; Espinal, Carlos A.; Delaide, Boris; Jijakli, Haissam M.; Schmautz, Zala; Wuertz, Sven; Keesman, Karel J.,

  2016.

  Navigating towards decoupled aquaponic systems : a system dynamics design approach.

  Water.

  8(7).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/w8070303

• Goddek, Simon; Schmautz, Zala; Scott, Benjamin; Delaide, Boris; Keesman, Karel J.; Wuertz, Sven; Junge, Ranka,

  2016.

  The effect of anaerobic and aerobic fish sludge supernatant on hydroponic lettuce.

  Agronomy.

  6(2).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy6020037

• Schmautz, Zala; Loeu, Fionna; Liebisch, Frank; Graber, Andreas; Mathis, Alex; Griessler Bulc, Tjasa; Junge, Ranka,

  2016.

  Tomato productivity and quality in aquaponics : comparison of three hydroponic methods.

  Water.

  8(11).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110533

• Némethy, Sandor; Bittsanszky, Andras; Schmautz, Zala; Junge, Ranka; Komives, Tamas,

  2016.

  Protecting plants from pests and diseases in aquaponic systems

  .

  In:

  Łabaj, M.; Sobczuk, S.; Fabin, A., eds.,

  Ecological Footprint in Central Europe.

  Sucha Beskidzka:

  The University College of Tourism and Ecology Press.

  pp. 166-179.

• Gartmann, Florentina; Schmautz, Zala; Junge, Ranka,

  2019.

  Influence of pH change on the phosphorus cycle in aquaponics [poster].

  In:

  9th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW9), Zurich, 8-12 July 2019.

  ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-18461

• Schmautz, Zala; Junge, Ranka,

  2015.

  Acvaponia în lume : aquaponic systems around the world.

  Revistă Română de Acvaponie.

  1(1), pp. 12-15.

• Podgrajsek, Barbara; Schmautz, Zala; Krivograd Klemenčič, Aleksandra; Jarni, Klara; Junge, Ranka; Griessler Bulc, Tjasa,

  2014.

  Preliminarni monitoring akvaponicnega sistema v biotehniskem centru Naklo.

  Moje podeželje.

  5(9), pp. 10-11.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4982

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

Schmautz Z (2015). Mass Balance and Nutrient Recycling in Aquaponics. Master thesis. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

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