Swine-fish integration: effect on culture performance of Ctenopharyngodon idella and Cyprinus carpio

Abstract

The study compared the growth performance of Ctenopharyngodon Idella and Cyprinus carpio cultured under conventional management and integration of fish swine farming intended to optimize the biomass production from unit land in subtropical agro-ecosystem. The carp culture was integrated with swine production, where swine excreta was drained directly to the pond. The fishes in both treatments were fed thrice a day with locally formulated feed as a supplement at the rate of 2% wet body weight of fish fingerlings during the study period. The growth performance of carp fish in T1 (111.80 ± 10.07 g) was higher than T2 of 74.48 ± 6.29 g, and found significantly different (p < 0.05). In addition, this study although not significantly different the survival rate was found comparatively higher in fish swine integrated pond. The total fish production recorded was 3155.79 and 2076.42 kg/ha in fish swine integration system and conventional management, respectively. This study concludes that swine fish integration is feasible in subtropical area and there are possibilities to enhanced unit fish production.