NAGAPATTINAM: In a bid to promote inland fishing and to provide additional income to farmers, the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department in collaboration with ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra is planning to promote paddy-cum-fish culture in the district.
Experts say a small pond in the middle or adjacent to a paddy field is all that it takes to carry out paddy-cum-fish culture. “A farmer can cultivate paddy and culture fish at the same time. He can commence farming at the same time and harvest both his paddy and fish at the same time. We are planning to promote
the concept among farmers," said J Akhandarao, the joint director of agriculture department.
While such a set-up has come up only a few days ago on ICAR-KVK's premises in Sikkal, it is already sparking interest among visiting farmers. "We are planning to promote this kind of integrated farming across the district, starting with the rain-fed block of Vedaranyam, where we have identified natural conditions. It just requires a pond or a pit with water for fishes to grow, and they will visit
the paddy fields to feed themselves," said Dr P Chidambaram, the Program Coordinator of ICAR-KVK.
Experts, however, stress that paddy-cum-fish culture should not be confused with paddy cultivation with farm ponds ('pannai kuttai'). "The farm ponds are closed set-ups to store water and culture fish. However, in paddy-cum-fish culture, the waterbodies are connected to the paddy fields through linking channels. The fishes can exit the ponds, swim through the channels, swim in the waterlogged paddy fields and feed on the insects, snails, worms, algae, frogspawn, and naturally available feed," said Dr E Hino Fernando, a fisheries expert at ICAR-KVK.
Mentioning freshwater fishes such as tilapia, murals, and Indian carp to be suited for turbid conditions of the paddy fields, ICAR-KVK experts said farmers can control their movement by adjusting the linking channels and passages, so that the fishes do not enter the fields when there is less or no water, like
during harvest.
Further, paddy-cum-fish culture is only for organic paddy farmers, Dr Chidambaram said. “Inorganic farming is harmful to the fishes as the usage of chemicals could kill them."Fish culture serves the natural fertilisers required for the crop. The fishes feed in the paddy fields and leave their excretions. That can
serve the nutritional needs of the crops such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, thereby eliminating the need for applying chemical fertiliser," he said.