Carp polyculture is the most common, popular, and successful aquaculture system in Nepal. Including mono-sex Nile tilapia in carp polyculture could enhance fish productivity. This present LEE work was conducted at the Fish hatchery complex of Fisheries Program, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, in a cemented tank of area 25 m² for 26 days to study the carp and mono-sex Nile tilapia in a polyculture system.
The pond was fertilized using urea and DAP at the rate of 4,7 g/m²/week and 3.5 g/m²/week respectively. Fishes except Grass carp were fed twice daily with the pellet made from mustard oil cake and rice bran mixed at a 1:1 ratio at the rate of 5% BW. Grass carp were fed with duckweed at a rate of 50% BW twice a day from 7:30 am to 8 am and 1:30 pm to 2 pm. Water quality parameters i.e., water temperature, transparency, water depth, dissolved oxygen, and pH and were monitored daily while total alkalinity was monitored weekly. Sampling of fish was done fortnightly to check fish growth and adjust feed quantity.
All the water quality parameters were within the optimal range of fish production except for DO which was very high during the afternoon. The extrapolated GFY and NFY were 14.5 t/ha/yr and 9.6 t/ha/yr, respectively. The overall survival of fish was 87% and AFCR was 1.4. The total variable cost and the production cost was NRs. 220/kg. Fishes were transferred to the Aquaculture farm, assuming the selling rate NRs. 300/kg. This makes the total gross return was of NRs. 875, making a total net profit of NRs. 327. The B: C ratio was 1.59. From this LEE work, it was concluded that carp and mono-sex Nile tilapia polyculture is a reliable and profitable venture to carry out.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 General introduction
1.2 Objectives
1.2.1 General objective
1.2.2 Specific objectives
1.3 Limitations of the study
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Global status of aquaculture
2.2 Status of aquaculture in Nepal
2.3 Carp polyculture
2.4 Principle of carp polyculture
2.5 Pros and cons of carp polyculture
2.5.1 Pros of polyculture
2.5.2 Cons of polyculture
2.6 Carp-Nile tilapia polyculture
2.7 Culture species
2.7.1 Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822)
2.7.2 Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844)
2.7.3 Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson, 1845)
2.7.4 Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes, 1844)
2.7.5 Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758)
2.7.6 Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
2.8 Stocking
2.10 Water quality requirements for carps and Nile tilapia
2.11 Feed and feeding
2.11.1 Natural food
2.11.2 Supplementary food
2.11.3 Liming
2.11.4 Fertilization
2.11.5 Yield and FCR
2.11.6 Economics of carp and Nile tilapia polyculture
3 MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 LEE site
3.2 Tank preparation
3.2.1 Draining and drying
3.2.2 Liming
3.2.3 Tank filing
3.2.4 Fertilization
3.2.5 Stocking of fingerlings
3.3 Tank management
3.3.1 Feed and feeding
3.3.2 Fertilization
3.3.3 Water quality monitoring
3.4 Fish sampling
3.5 Fish harvesting
3.6 Marketing of fish
3.7 Analytical methods
3.7.1 Fish growth parameters
3.7.2 Gross margin analysis
3.7.3 Statistical analysis
4 RESULTS
4.1 Water quality
4.1.1 Daily diurnal monitoring
4.1.2 Weekly monitoring
4.2 Fish growth and production
4.2.1 Silver carp
4.2.2 Bighead carp
4.2.3 Grass carp
4.2.4 Rohu
4.2.5 Common carp
4.2.6 Nile tilapia
4.2.7 Growth, survival, and yield of all fishes
4.3 Gross margin and Fish marketing
5 DISCUSSION
5.1 Water quality
5.2 Growth and yield of fish
5.3 Gross margin and fish marketing
6 CONCLUSION
Objectives & Themes
This study focuses on the implementation of a semi-intensive polyculture system involving five different species of carp and mono-sex Nile tilapia in a cemented tank, with the primary objective of evaluating productivity, water quality management, and economic feasibility under the Learning Entrepreneurial Experience (LEE) program.
- Evaluation of growth performance and production yields in a multi-species polyculture system.
- Monitoring of critical water quality parameters in a closed tank environment.
- Economic assessment of carp and mono-sex Nile tilapia integration through gross margin analysis.
- Application of semi-intensive aquaculture management techniques including feeding and fertilization.
- Analysis of the feasibility of incorporating mono-sex Nile tilapia into traditional carp polyculture in Nepal.
Excerpt from the Book
2.6 Carp-Nile tilapia polyculture
Incorporating mono-sex Nile tilapia in the existing systems of carp polyculture will enhance the carp polyculture as when stocked at appropriate densities, tilapia grow well without affecting the performance of other species. The primary purpose of incorporating is to utilize natural foods as Nile tilapia feeds on many sources of food, thus increasing fish production (Bhujel, 2014). Since it consumes plankton, it will improve water quality in ponds and effluents at harvest. Such improvements in water quality and faster consistent growth will help to gain larger economic and production of fish with no further inputs to enhance the sustainability of aquaculture systems environmentally and economically.
Monosex solves unwanted reproduction and early sexual maturation problems. In comparison to the mixed population, monosex has a higher specific growth rate, daily weight gain, protein efficiency ratio, and protein content (Chakraborty & Banerjee, 2010). In populations, males grow approximately 50% faster and are uniform in size than females (Bhujel, 2014). The addition of Nile tilapia (3000/ha) and sahar (1000/ha) into the existing carps production system could increase yields by 30% and profit margin by 18% (Shrestha, Bhandari, Diana, Jaiswal, Mishra, & Pandit, 2018). Shrestha et al. (2018) and Pandit, Shrestha, Mishra, Wagle, and Diana (2018) have concluded that the addition of Nile tilapia to carp polyculture has increased the yield and production, so incorporating mono-sex Nile tilapia will be a profitable venture.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Outlines the significance of polyculture in Nepal and defines the objectives of studying carp and Nile tilapia integration.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW: Provides a background on global and national aquaculture status, principles of polyculture, and specific requirements for the cultured species.
3 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Details the experimental site, tank preparation, stocking procedures, management practices, and analytical methods used for the study.
4 RESULTS: Presents the recorded data on water quality parameters, individual fish growth, and production results.
5 DISCUSSION: Analyzes the water quality fluctuations, evaluates growth performance against existing research, and assesses the economic outcomes.
6 CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that the integrated polyculture system is a viable and profitable model for rural farmers.
Keywords
Aquaculture, Polyculture, Carp, Nile tilapia, Water quality, Fish growth, Yield, Gross margin, Semi-intensive, LEE, Feed conversion ratio, Sustainability, Nepal, Stocking density, Profitability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research focuses on evaluating the technical and economic performance of a polyculture system combining five carp species with mono-sex Nile tilapia in a small-scale, cemented tank environment.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
Key themes include fish growth dynamics, optimal water quality management, the benefits of species diversity in polyculture, and economic viability through cost-benefit analysis.
What is the ultimate goal of the work?
The study aims to determine if incorporating mono-sex Nile tilapia can increase productivity and profitability for small-scale farmers compared to traditional carp-only polyculture.
Which scientific methods were applied during the study?
The study utilized semi-intensive culture techniques, including controlled stocking, regular fertilization, supplementary feeding, daily water monitoring (temperature, DO, pH), and fortnightly growth sampling.
What content is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the theoretical background of species requirements, detailed experimental setup (site, tank preparation), monitoring results (water and growth parameters), and financial assessments.
What are the primary characteristics that define this study?
The work is characterized by its practical, hands-on approach (LEE program), its focus on specific species combinations, and the use of extrapolated data to project long-term production feasibility.
Why was mono-sex Nile tilapia chosen for this study?
Mono-sex Nile tilapia was chosen because it grows faster, is compatible with carp species, and prevents the overpopulation issues associated with natural, uncontrolled reproduction.
How was the economic success of the experiment measured?
Success was measured by calculating the gross margin, production cost per kilogram, and the Benefit-Cost (B:C) ratio, which demonstrated the overall financial feasibility of the project.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Saurav Lamichhane (Autor:in), 2020, Carp and Mono-Sex Nile Tilapia Polyculture in a Cemented Tank, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/974739
