Growth and Yield of <i>Macrobrachium malcolmsonii</i> (H. Milne Edwards) and Carps in Mono- and Polyculture in Rural Area

Abstract

The study was carried out on mono- and polyculture of freshwater prawn Macobrachium malcolmsonii stocked with different size carp seed (Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Ctenopharyngodon idella) in tropical village fish ponds of Orissa. Treatment-I (T-I) was stocked with M. malcolmsonii juveniles for monoculture. Treatment-II, III and IV were stocked with carp fry, fingerlings and yearlings, respectively with prawn juveniles. M. malcolmsonii juveniles were stocked @ 50,000/ha for monoculture and @ 25,000/ha for polyculture. Carp fry were stocked @ 30,000/ha and fingerlings and yearlings each @ 3,000/ha. Prawns and carps were fed @ 3-5% of the body weight daily with commercial feed. Grass carps were fed with chopped cabbage leaves daily ad libitum. Prawns and carps were harvested at 195 days of rearing. The survival of carps in T-IV was significantly higher (P<0.01) than in T-II and T-III. As stocking size of the carps increased, the final net weight and yield contribution increased. Significant variation (P<0.01) in net fish yield was observed among the treatments. In mono culture (T-I) the prawn production was highest (973.02 kg/ha/yr). In polyculture total prawn yield was 481.64-775.38 kg/ha/yr with the contribution of 21.65-58.68% to total yield. T-IV showed better performance in terms of fish and prawn production compared to T-II and T-III, suggesting the suitability of stocking the carp yearlings with prawn juveniles for polyculture.