TITLE:
Integration of Fish and Poultry Farming into Cropping Systems to Improve Production Yields
AUTHORS:
Mbaye Tine, Saliou Wade, Mbacke Sembene
KEYWORDS:
Agroecology, Poultry, Fish Farming, Production, Yield, Nile Tilapia, Cobb 500, Okra, Lettuce
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
21,
2022
ABSTRACT: This study aims to evaluate and compare the fertilizing effects of
fish-breeding water and river water combined or not with composted poultry
manure on the growth and production of okra and lettuce crops. Thus, a sample
of 2000 Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus fry and a sample of 100 Cobb 500 strain chicks were
reared and monitored for six months and fifteen days. Poultry manure and
fish-breeding water were then collected and used to fertilize and water okra
and lettuce crops. Two systems were used for the crops (okra and lettuce) tested
in an elementary plot design with replicates for each treatment (T1:
fish-breeding water alone; T2: river water alone; T3: fish-breeding water
combined with manure; T4: river water combined with manure). Morphometric
parameters and phenological traits of okra and lettuce crops as well as the
total harvest weight and production yield were evaluated and compared between
treatments. The results reveal better growth and higher yields (0.67 kg/m2 vs. 0.45 kg/m2) of okra crops that received treatment T1 compared to
T2. The best growth and yields of lettuce were obtained with treatments T3
(3.34 kg/m2) and T1 (1.89 kg/m2) compared to T4 (1.23
kg/m2) and T2 (1.20 kg/m2). These results show that
fish-breeding water combined with poultry manure can boost okra and lettuce
production and would be a real asset to stimulate local agricultural
development. Thus, the adoption of such an agro-ecological approach integrating
fish farming and animal husbandry could increase local production and provide
food of good nutritional quality.