FISH PEFORMANCE, WATER BALANCE AND NUTRIENT BUDGET IN

INTEGRATED CULTURE OF FISH, RICE AND PIG

BY

ABRAHAM, OGHENEMARHO VICTORY

B. Fisheries, 2012 (Delsu)

MATRIC NO. 180740

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF

AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT, IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT, FACULTY OF
AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY,

UNIIVERSITY OF IBADAN, IBADAN. NIGERIA

NOVEMBER, 2015
 CERTIFICATION

I certify that this research work was carried out by Abraham Oghenemarho Victory, with
Matric No. 180470 in the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

____________________ ______________________

Date Supervisor

Dr. A.O. Akinwole

B.Sc. (Hons) (Abeokuta), M.Sc., Ph.D (Ibadan)
Senior Lecturer,
Aquacultural Engineering and Water Resources
Management, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

ii
 ABSTRACT

Integrated fish farming is an acceptable practice which ensures multiple and conjunctive use
of scare water resources. However information on actual water consumption and movement
of nutrients between various products in integrated fish farming system is limited. This
study evaluates fish growth, water balance and nutrient budget within an integrated fish cum
rice and pig production system.

The system evaluated is a combined fish cum rice integrated system which also involved
production of pig. The experimental system consists of a rice paddy on an elevated land
surrounded by a trench which serves for culture of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fish of
mean weight 2.66±0.2g were stocked, fed twice daily at the rate of 3% body weight with
45% crude protein. The feed was supplemented with maggot generated from using the pig
manure. Oryza sativa (FARO 49) was planted in nursery bed and covered with compost.
Transplanting of seedlings was done after 15 days. Fish growth was evaluated by measuring
the mean weight gain, specific growth rate and survival, while rice growth was accessed by
measuring plant height, leaves as well as the yield throughout the productive period. Water
quality parameters were evaluated biweekly and soil nutrient parameters were accessed
using standard methods. Water balance and nutrient budget in the entire system were also
computed following the standard procedure.

Mean weight and specific growth rate were 416.1±33.2g and 4.34% respectively. Survival
rate for fish after sixteen weeks was 83.33%. Rice plant height measured after sixteen weeks
was 146.98±11.65cm and yield recorded was 2666.7kg/ha. Total nitrate - nitrogen
concentration water recorded was 5.40±2.60mg/g. Dissolved oxygen was recorded as
5.13±1.04 mg/l. Soil nutrient nitrogen was 12.2±3.7mg/kg at initial and 11.2±14.1mg/kg
after sixteen weeks. During the study period, nitrogen concentration in soil remained low
from week one and increased at the sixth week. There was no significant impact from the
first week to sixth week. Average water balance for rice paddy and fish culture was recorded
as 75.1563m3 and 297.4433m3 respectively. Fish water productivity was as 6.55kg/m3
.Nutrient Budget revealed that fish could assimilate only 24 - 36 % nitrogen of the total
inputs. The major source of nitrogen input was fish feed. Fish Feed accounted for 58.8 to

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63.78% nitrogen of the total inputs. The major sinks of nutrients were in the rice plant,
which accounted for 55.44 – 74.10% of input.

Integrated fish farming system is a sustainable nutrient management technique that

maintains healthy, productive soil for products without degrading the environment.

Keywords: Integrated farming, Water balance, Nutrient budget, Fish cum rice culture, waste
recycling

Words count: 421

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 DEDICATION

This work is dedicated to the Lord of Lords; I AM THAT I AM for his mercy, direction,
favour, divine health, and to my parents Mr. and Mrs. Abraham provision throughout the
course of this research work.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am deeply grateful to the Almighty God for His strength and favour given to me to carry
out this research work, all glory honour and power be ascribed to His holy name that made
this journey successful.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. A.O Akinwole, whose
untiring effort, excellent supervision and constructive criticism from the beginning of this
study to its completion was immeasurable.

I also appreciate the Head of Department, Prof. B.O. Omitoyin, for his fatherly advice and
moral support; I also like to express my gratitude to Prof. E.K. Ajani for his guidance and
encouragement throughout the course of this study. I specially thank Dr. Oyelese for his
fatherly role he played. Also my warm appreciation goes to Dr. A. Jenyo-Oni, Dr. T.
Fregene and Mr. O.K. Kareem, for their concern and words of encouragement. I also thank
the lecturers and entire staff of the Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management
who in one way or the other built me up academically. My immense gratitude goes to the
West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development
(CORAF/WECARD) for giving me the grant money to fund this research work, I am highly
grateful.

Special thanks go to my parents Mr. and Mrs. Abraham for their parental care, most
especially my Mom for her moral, spiritual guidance and support and also to my wonderful
sister for her love, patience, support and understanding throughout my studies. My
appreciation goes to Pastor J. Osumah for his encouragement and prayers. Also worthy of
appreciation are friends and my colleagues too numerous to mention who contributed to the
success of this work in diverse ways.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Certification ii

Abstract iii

Dedication v

Acknowledgement vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables x

List of Figures xi

List of Plates xiii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 General Introduction 1

1.2 Justification for the study 6

1.3 Objectives of the study 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 History, principles and practice of integrated aquaculture 9

2.2 Economic and ecological benefit of integrated fish farming: 22

2.3 Integrated aquaculture in Nigeria 24

2.4 Fish and rice growth in integrated farming systems. 29

2.5 Water Balance studies and computation 32

2.6 Nutrient budget studies and computation 39

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CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS 43

3.1 The Study Site and Experimental facilities 43

3.2 Fish Stocking and Feeding 45

3.3 Rice planting and Maggot production 45

3.4 Water quantity and quality evaluation 46

3.5 Soil samplings and analysis 48

3.6 Proximate analysis of fish feed, maggot and pig manure 55

3.7 Fish Growth assessment 60

3.8 Rice growth evaluation. 61

3.9 Water balance computation 63

3.10 Nutrient Budget computation 65

3.11 Statistical analysis 67

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 68

4.1 Water quality parameters 68

4.2 Growth, Survival and production of fish 78

4.3 Rice growth and yield 81

4.4 Soil nutrient amendment 93

4.5 Nutrient (Nutrient) budget in the production system 105

4.6 Water balance in the production system 107

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 120

5.1 Conclusion 120

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5.2 Recommendations 120

REFERENCES 122

APPENDICES 140

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table Pages

1: Morphometric, vegetative and reproductive descriptors used to

evaluate rice morphotypes 62

2: Mean values of selected water quality parameters in the

Integrated Fish cum culture pond. 69

3: Growth Parameters of C. gariepinus in integrated culture in Fish –rice-pig

production system. 80

4: Proximate composition of Fish feed used in fish cum rice and pig
production system. 84

5: Proximate composition of maggot used in fish cum rice and pig

production system 85

6: Proximate composition of Pig manure used in fish cum rice and pig

production system. 86

7: Weekly mean values of rice height and leaves in fish cum rice and

pig production system 88

8: Mean production indices of rice paddy in fish cum rice and pig

Production system. 89

9: Morphometric and reproductive descriptors of rice in the integrated

production system. 90

10: Rice paddy soil characteristics and nutrients in Fish-Rice-Pig

production system. 94

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11: Weekly mean value of Rice paddy soil characteristics and nutrients in

Fish cum Rice and Pig production system. 98

12: Nutrient budget and Nitrogen discharged by water exchange in the fish–
rice – pig integrated production system. 103

13: Nitrogen and Nutrient budget for sixteen weeks in the fish cum rice and
pig integrated production system. 108

14: Water balance of rice paddy in the fish cum rice and pig integrated
production system. 109

15: Water balance of fish trench in the fish cum rice and pig integrated
production system. 112

16: Water exchange in fish trench in in the fish cum rice and pig integrated

production system. 114

17: Water productivity in rice paddy in integrated production system 118

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figures Pages

Figure 1: Layout of the experimental Fish-rice integrated pond used for study 44

Figure 2: Variation in mean values of Temperature C during the study period 71

Figure 3: Variation in mean values of pond water during the study period 75

Figure 4: Variation in mean values of Alkalinity and Hardness (mg/l) in pond water

during the study period. 77

Figure 5: Weight Gain of C. gariepinus in Fish-rice-pig integrated production

system 83

Figure 6: Weekly mean height of rice in integrated production system during the
study 90

Figure 7: The relationship between rice plant height and nitrogen for sixteen weeks
94

Figure 8: Variation in mean values of nutrient composition in rice paddy 99

Figure 9: Nutrient composition of rice paddy in integrated production system 100

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 LIST OF PLATES

Plates Pages

Plate 1: An integrated pond indicating the graduated meter rule in integrated

production system. 49

Plate 2: Maggot production from pig waste in integrated production system 50

Plate 3: A view of fish culture with rice plant on paddy in integrated pond during
the study period 87

Plate 4: Harvested O. Sativa (FARO 44) from integrated production system 96

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