Rice and Fish: A Dynamic Duo in Rice Paddy Fields
A Koi carp in a rice paddy field. (Photo by Yulin Jia, ARS)
Fish and rice are a good pairing in different cuisines. Both foods complement each other by enhancing flavors, textures, and nutritional value to different meals while enticing people’s taste buds.
In addition to being a delicious duo on people’s plates, fish and rice can also be grown together in rice paddy fields while providing economic and production benefits for farmers, according to a recent ARS study published in PLOS One.
In the study, ARS researchers at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, AR, examined how fish and rice can be co-cultured, in other words grown together in rice paddy fields. The researchers used Koi carp, a popular ornamental fish for water gardens, and the Eclipse rice sushi variety in experimental studies in the research center’s fields.
“A rice-fish co-culture can be used to maximize limited land and water resources for production of rice and fish concurrently and reduce the need of chemical inputs,” said Research Leader Yulin Jia. “Our studies showed that Koi carp can be grown concurrently in a flooded rice-fish production system and result in enhanced rice yield, milling yield, and protein content as well as positive estimated net returns for Koi carp production.”
According to Jia, rice and fish both require sufficient water resources, which may be in limited supply for many areas, to be profitable for farmers. It has become critical for farmers to maximize output for agricultural products while maintaining sustainable farming practices like co-culturing.
“Successful co-culturing practices can save water; reduce fuel inputs for pumping water; reduce costs for pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer use; and expand farm products that are economically favorable,” said Jia.
Jia and researchers found that rice paddies with fish had noticeably fewer weeds than rice paddies without fish.
“Weeds compete with rice for space and sunlight while taking up nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil,” said Jia. “The fish serve a dual purpose in controlling the weeds while releasing a constant supply of bioavailable fertilizer and micronutrients for the rice plants to support their growth and yields.”
Jia added that the study shows promising results, but additional studies would need to be performed to assess the utility and potential benefits of rice-fish co-culture with larger plot sizes, varying fish species, and rice varieties.
“This system appears to offer U.S. rice farmers a potential diversification strategy for smaller fields where specialty rice varieties are grown,” said Jia. “It is the first step in determining if this technique will be feasible for farmers in the United States.” — by Jessica Ryan, ARS Office of Communications.
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