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Effects of including catla and tilapia in a freshwater prawn–mola polyculture in a rotational rice–fish culture systems
Author(s) -
Kunda Mrityunjoy,
Azim M Ekram,
Wahab M Abdul,
Dewan Somen,
Majid M Abdul,
Thilsted Shakuntala H
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2009.02204.x
Subject(s) - catla , macrobrachium rosenbergii , prawn , polyculture , biology , tilapia , fishery , aquaculture , zoology , stocking , fish farming , nile tilapia , oreochromis , veterinary medicine , labeo , fish <actinopterygii> , medicine
An on‐farm trial was carried out from February to June 2006 to evaluate the growth and production performance of catla ( Catla catla ) and tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) with freshwater prawn ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii ) and mola ( Amblypharyngodon mola ) in farmer's rice fields. In all treatments, 20 000 mola ha −1 and 20 000 prawn ha −1 were stocked. Besides, stocking included 2500 catla ha −1 in treatment‐I, 2500 tilapia ha −1 in treatment‐II and catla and tilapia at 1250 ha −1 each in treatment‐III . Prawns were fed in the evening with pellets at a feeding rate of 3–8% body weight (initially 8% and gradually decreased to 3%). Catla and tilapia were fed in the morning with a paste of mustard oil cake and rice bran at a feeding rate of 3% body weight. Significantly higher combined production of fish and prawn observed was 2142 kg ha −1 in treatment‐I. The benefit:cost ratio was found to be significantly higher in treatment‐I than in treatment‐II and there were no differences between treatments I and III. From the production and economic point of view, treatment‐I was found to be the best proposition for the rotational rice–fish culture systems.