Fish polyculture system integrated with vegetable farming improves yield and economic benefits of small‐scale farmers |
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| Authors: | Samwel Mchele Limbu Amon Paul Shoko Hieromin Amon Lamtane Mary Alphonce Kishe‐Machumu Masanja Charles Joram Athanasio Stephano Mbonde Huruma Fredrick Mgana Yunus Daud Mgaya |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Technology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;2. Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Environmental Health, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;3. Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Headquarters, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania;4. Department of Aquaculture and Range Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania;5. Kilombero District Council, Ifakara, Morogoro, Tanzania;6. Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute, Kigoma Centre, Kigoma, Tanzania |
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| Abstract: | This study explored the yield and economic benefits of African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, and Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus polyculture, reared in earthen ponds for 270 days integrated with Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa chinensis, farmed for 45 days to small‐scale farmers in Tanzania. An integrated aquaculture–agriculture (IAA) system involving fishes and vegetables resulted in three and 2.5 times higher net yield than the culture of fishes alone and farming of non‐integrated vegetables respectively. Vegetables irrigated with pond water resulted in 1.8 times higher net and annual yields than those irrigated with stream water. The practice of fish–vegetable integration and growing of vegetables irrigated with pond water produced 14 and 13 times higher net annual yield, respectively, than the culture of fishes alone. The integrated system produced 20 and 150 times more net returns compared with vegetables irrigated with pond and stream water respectively. Integrating fishes with vegetables resulted in significantly higher annual net cash flow than the farming of fishes and vegetables separately. The study revealed that integrating fishes with B. rapa chinensis increases yields, income and food production to small‐scale farmers. Thus, small‐scale farmers can adopt IAA technology to meet the increasing demand of fish and vegetables, stabilize their incomes and diversify food production, consequently improving food security. These benefits will be realized by providing proper training in IAA technology and management skills to small‐scale farmers. |
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| Keywords: | yield fish culture vegetable farming integrated aquaculture– agriculture net return annual net cash flow |
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