Evaluation of Performance of Carp-SIS Polyculture Technology in the Rural Farmers' Pond

Abstract

An experiment on the polyculture of large carps (both Indian and Chinese) with small indigenous fish species (SIS) mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) and chela (Chela cachius) was carried out to evaluate the production performance of carp-SIS culture in the farmers' pond of Boilor-Dhanikhola village under the Mymensingh district, Bangladesh. The main objective was to develop a sustainable carp and small fish polyculture technology for enhancing the nutritional and socioeconomic status of the rural people. Three treatments were tried with 10 replicates each. Only carp species (grass carp, rohu, catla and mrigal) were stocked in treatment 1 (T 1), carps with mola were stocked in treatment 2 (T 2), and carps with chela were stocked in treatment 3 (T 3). Large carps and small fish were stocked at the rate of 10,000 and 25,000 fish•ha-1 , respectively. Productions of carps and small fish over a period of 210 days were 2,560, 2,412 and 2,176 kg•ha-1 , in three treatments , respectively. However, while there was no significant difference in fish production between T 1 and T 2 , the production in T 3 was significantly (P<0.05) lower than T 1. Despite the yield values, it is argued that carp-SIS culture technology is a good proposition as a rural aquaculture technology in terms of nutrition and socio-economics aspects. Partial harvest of small fish is a prerequisite to maintain compatible existence among large carps and small fish.