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Chinese Embankment Fish Culture: Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Español Français More Details
Chinese Embankment Fish Culture: Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Español Français More Details
Chinese Embankment Fish Culture: Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Español Français More Details
Produced by: Fisheries and
Aquaculture Department
Title: Integrated agricultureaquaculture: a primer...
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Chinese embankment fish culture
by Kuanhong Min and Baotong Hu
Embankment fish culture, along with bamboo and mulberry culture, has been practiced in the
Yangtze River delta and Pearl River delta areas of central and south China for centuries. Originally,
the delta was just a waterlogged area. Farmers dug and moved soil, piling it into huge rectangular or
round shapes and utilized these raised embankments for planting crops. The excavated areas became
deeper, making them ideal for fish culture. Where embankments are wide enough, mulberry,
bamboo, etc., can be grown (see Figures 1 and 2). The mud is scraped from the bottom of the pond
and applied as fertilizer to the embankment 25 times annually at a rate of 7501 125 kg/ha/year.
Mulberry plotfishpond
In this system, which is more common in form of largescale farming systems, the mulberry leaves
are used as feed for silkworms. The sericulture provides a large variety of feeds and fertilizers for
fish farming. On the other hand, the technology requires high labour input.
It has been determined that 36 700 kg/ha of mulberry leaves can be produced which can yield 2 700
kg of cocoons and 18 40018 750 kg of silkworm excreta and silkworm sloughs (molted skins). The
silkworm excreta can both serve as feed and fertilizer for fish. The cocoons contain 80 percent
pupae by weight. The feed conversion ratio of pupae to fish is 2:1 such that 2 kg of pupae can
produce 1 kg of fish. All the feeds and manure from silkworm farming can support a good fish yield;
see Figure 3 for the cycling process of the silkworm wastes. The suggested fish stocking in mulberry
plotfishpond is listed in Table 1.
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Table 1. Stocking for mulberry plotfishpond
Bamboo plotfishpond
Issues for further consideration
The mulberryfish system has declined with industrialization in many areas of southern China because of opportunity costs
of land and labour. The bamboofish system is dependent upon a processing industry in the vicinity. In most cases, the
bamboo shoots are not the major crop.
Both mulberry and bamboo systems are unusual, compared to many potential embankment crops, in that they are
perennial crops. The considerable amounts of mud that need to be removed from the pond for dike crop fertilization
require considerable amounts of labour.
In the last ten years the practice is losing its popularity due to economic changes manifested by increased cost of labour,
shifts in market demand, changes in food preferences and availability of other livelihood opportunities.
The mulberryfish system requires high labour inputs. A silk processing factory should be in the vicinity.
For bamboo shoot production, there should be adequate market demand, processing facilities in the area, high rainfall and
a yearround humid climate.
Required nutrient inputs need to be verified depending on soil quality and plant requirements. It is unclear if additional
fertilizer amounts are given to the dike crops, aside from the pond mud.
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http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/Y1187E/y1187e09.htm#k 4/4