FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department - Culture of fish in rice fields

Culture of fish in rice fields

Edited by
Matthias Halwart
Modadugu V.Gupta

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
The WorldFish Center
2004

ABSTRACT

FAO and The WorldFish Center.
Halwart, M. and M.V. Gupta (eds.) 2004. Culture of fish in rice fields. FAO and The WorldFish Center, 83p.

Rice is presently grown in 113 countries. Rice farming also offers a suitable environment for the culture of fish and other aquatic organisms. This publication synthesizes the available information on the role that aquaculture can play in rice-based farming systems towards food security and poverty alleviation. The review describes the history behind integrating aquaculture with different rice ecosystems, the various production systems in operation such as concurrent, rotational and alternate, the modifications needed to the fields in order to integrate fish with rice farming, and the agronomic and aquaculture management that is necessary. The benefits of integration to communities - economic and environmental - are also described with reviews of the experiences from various countries. The real impacts of rice-fish farming and its future potential in terms of improved income and nutrition are significant but generally underestimated and undervalued. Notable changes have taken place in pest management in rice farming, and in fish seed production and availability making this a particularly relevant moment for emphasizing the importance of rice-fish farming. There is considerable potential for rice-fish farming to expand further in many countries and to contribute substantially towards global food and nutritional security.

Table of Contents


Foreword
1. Introduction
2. History
3. The Rice Field Ecosystem
	3.1 Types of Rice and Ecosystem
	3.2 The Wet Rice Field Ecosystem
		3.2.1. Factors affecting fish and other aquatic organisms
		3.2.2. Factors affecting plants
		3.2.3. Rice field fauna
		3.2.4. Impact of aquatic fauna on the rice field ecosystem
		3.2.5. The rice field as a fish culture system
4. Modification of Rice Fields for Fish Culture
	4.1 Increasing Dike (Bund) Height
	4.2 Provisions of Weirs or Screens
	4.3 Provision of Drains
	4.4 Fish Refuges
		4.4.1. Trenches
		4.4.2. Fish pits or sumps
		4.4.3. Ponds in rice fields
		4.4.4. Rice fields in ponds
		4.4.5. Ponds connected to rice fields
		4.4.6. Fish pen within a rice field
5. Production Systems
	5.1 Concurrent Culture
		5.1.1. Rice and fish
		5.1.2. Rice and fish with livestock
		5.1.3. Rice and crustaceans
		5.1.4. Concurrent but compartmentalized culture
	5.2 Rotational Culture
		5.2.1. Fish as a second crop
		5.2.2. Crustaceans as a second crop
	5.3 Alternating Culture System
6. Agronomic and Aquaculture Management
	6.1 Pre-Stocking Preparation
	6.2 Water Needs and Management
	6.3 Fertilization
	6.4 Rice Varieties
	6.5 The Fish Stock
		6.5.1. Species
		6.5.2. Fry and fingerling supply
		6.5.3. Stocking pattern and density
		6.5.4. Fish nutrition and supplemental feeding
7. Rice-Fish Production
	7.1 Fish Yields
		7.1.1. Rice-fish
		7.1.2. Rice-fish-azolla
		7.1.3. Rice and crustacean
		7.1.4. Polyculture
	7.2 Rice Yields
8. Pest Management
	8.1 Managing Pests with Fish Present
	8.2 Management of Rice Field Weeds
	8.3 Management of Invertebrates
		8.3.1. Management of insect pests
		8.3.2. Management of Snails
	8.4 Management of Diseases
9. Impact of Rice-Fish Culture
	9.1 Economics of Production
		9.1.1. The "bottom line"
		9.1.2. Input analysis
	9.2 Benefits to Communities
		9.2.1. Improved income status of farmers
		9.2.2. Improved Nutrition
		9.2.3. Public Health
		9.2.4. Social Impact
	9.3 Impact on the Environment
		9.3.1. Biodiversity
		9.3.2. Water resources
		9.3.3. Sustainability
	9.4 Participation of Women
	9.5 Macro-Economic Impact
10. Experiences of Various Countries
	10.1 East Asia
	10.2 SouthEast Asia
	10.3 South Asia
	10.4 Australia
	10.5 Africa, Middle East and West Asia
	10.6 Europe
	10.7 The Former Soviet Union
	10.8 South America and the Caribbean
	10.9 The United States
11. Prospects and Program for the Future
	11.1 Prospects
	11.2 Major Issues and Constraints
	11.3 Research and Development Needs
	11.4 Institutional Policy and Support Services
		11.4.1. Mainstreaming rice-fsh farming
		11.4.2. Popularization of the concept
		11.4.3. Training and education
		11.4.4. Fingerling supply
		11.4.5. Financing
12. Conclusion
13. References

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ISBN 983-2346-33-9

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