INTEGRATED FISH FARMING

Fish farming with agriculture

Agri-based systems include rice-fish integration, horticulture-fish system, mushroom-fish system, seri-fish system. In this system, fish culture is integrated with agricultural crops such as rice, banana and coconut, thereby producing fish and agricultural crops under one interlinked system.

Rice-fish culture

In India, though six million hectares are under rice cultivation, only 0.03 per cent of this is now used for rice-fish culture. This type of fish culture has several advantages such as (a) economical utilisation of land, (b) little extra labour, (c) savings on labour cost towards weeding and supplemental feeding, (d) enhanced rice yield, and (e) additional income and diversified harvest such as fish and rice from water, and onion, bean, and sweet potato through cultivation on bunds. Considering these, it is imperative to expand fish culture in the rice fields of our country.

The paddy fields retain water for 3-8 months in a year. The culture of fish in paddy fields, which remain flooded even after paddy harvest, serves an off-season occupation and additional income to the farmer. This system needs modification of rice fields, digging peripheral trenches, construction of dykes, pond refuge, sowing improved varieties of rice, manuring, stocking of fish at 10,000/ha and finally feeding of stocked fish with rice-bran and oilcakes at 2-3% of body weight.
For the culture of fish in combination with rice, varieties such as Panidhan, Tulsi, CR260 77, ADT 6, ADT 7, Rajarajan and Pattambi 15 and 16 are suitable. These varieties not only possess strong root systems but also are also capable of withstanding flooded conditions. Further, they have a life span of 180 days and fish culture is possible for about four to five months after their transplantation. Harvesting is done when fish attain marketable size.

Rice fish integrated system

Fish culture in rice fields may be attempted in two ways, viz. simultaneous culture and rotation culture. In the former, rice and fish are cultivated together and in the latter; fish and rice are cultivated alternately.

Last updated: 15-2-2007