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MEKARN Workshop 2009: Livestock, Climate Change and the Environment |
A series of experiments were conducted in 2009 on a small holding farm in the agricultural suburban area of Cantho City in the Mekong Delta to determine the performance of ducklings and fish raised in an integrated duck-fish farming system and effects of the use of pond wastes for growing rice and water spinach (impoea aquatica).
The experiment on integrated duck-fish farming system included three treatments with three replicates. The ducks were kept in different systems: (1) on wire floor access to pond water (DFI); (2) on wire floor over the fish pond (DOW), and (3) in complete confinement on litter (DOL). The daily live weight gain of ducks were 51.3, 42.6 and 44.2 g (P<0.001); Daily feed intakes were 194.2, 163.5 and 168.7 g/duck (P<0.001); Feed conversion ratios were 3.79, 3.84 and 3.83 (P>0.05) for DFI, DOW and DOL, respectively. Benefit was highest for DFI treatment based on gains of ducks and fish.
The experiment on using waste mud and water for rice plants during growing stage in the spring - summer crop consisted of three treatments with three replicates. The growing rice plots were fertilized with: (CTR) complete application of chemical fertilizers; (WAF) Waste mud and water plus 80% of the amount of fertilizers in CTR, and (WNF) Waste mud and water only without fertilizers. The rice yields were 3092, 3229 and 3637 kg per hectare for CTR, WAF and WNF, respectively. Total coliforms in waste water were almost eliminated after two weeks treated in the growing rice field.
The experiment on using waste mud dried for growing water spinach (WS) during rainy season included three treatments and three replicates. The treatment were: (CTRF) the WS applied complete fertilizers, (M50F) the WS with 20 kg/m2 of the mud plus 50% fertilizers of CTRF, and (MNFS) the WS with 40 kg/m2 of the mud without fertilizers. The biomass of the WS in the first cut at 28 days of age were 1333, 1607 and 2200 g/m2; In the second cut after 24 days from the first cut were 1040, 1593 and 1605 g/m2 (P<0.05) for the CTRF, M50F and MNFS, respectively.
Application of ducklings raised on the surface of fish pond in an integration farming system and use of wastes of the integration for rice and vegetable in small holding sizes in the Mekong Delta maintained production of ducks and fish in a bio-securely controlled system to increase income for holding farmers and decrease of pollution to the agricultural invironment of the local areas.