IMPACTS ON APPLICATION OF FERMENTED MANURE IN FARMERS’ POND

Abstract

Applications of organic and inorganic fertilizers in the aquaculture ponds are very common and traditional practices to boost fish production. Day by day fish farmers used to provide regular balanced feed. Providing the factory feeds are often very costly and increasing the cost of fish production. To overcome the problem, recently farmers of many regions are providing fermented manure in the form of compost that are made by fermenting the cowdung, rice bran, mastered oil cake, urea, TSP etc. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the impacts of using compost on the physico-chemical parameters of the water body and plankton production from March 2017 to November 2017. Farmer’s pond located around the HSTU campus selected based on the inputs provided and named as pond type; providing compost (pond type –I), providing inorganic and organic fertilization (pond type-II) and providing factory feed (pond type –III). The experimental laboratory work such as plankton identification, counting and water quality measurement were conducted in the laboratory of the Department of Fisheries Management of HSTU. Statistical analyses were conducted through the use of SPSS version 22.0 and MS Excel (2010). The transparency, pH and DO were ranged from 24.00-29.00 cm, 7.44-8.15, 6.56 - 7.75 9 (mg/l) respectively in different ponds. A Total of 61 genera of plankton were identified that consist of 56 phytoplankton and 5 of zooplankton. Chlorophyceae, Bacillarophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Rotifera, Copepoda, Cladocera and Crustacean larvae were identified as the major groups of plankton. The enumeration of plankton showed that the highest number of plankton 61.38 (×10³ cell/L), phytoplanktons 56.46 (×10³ cell/L), and zooplanktons 5.85 (×10³ cell/L) in pond type- I. It was found that in all ponds, the plankton, phytoplankton and zooplankton were abundantly available in autumn and followed by summer and rain. The study concluded that the use of compost had no negative impact on the physico-chemical parameters and produced more plankton population than other treatments and control measure. To establish the use of compost in the aquaculture ponds, experiment needed to conduct at research station with replication. Moreover the fish growth and survival rate were also need to be studied to recommend use fermented manure in the form of compost in aquaculture ponds as the alternative to factory feeds