Polyculture and Integrated Tilapia Farming Systems - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. POLYCULTURE AND
INTEGRATED TILAPIA
FARMING SYSTEMS
Kevin Fitzsimmons, Cesar Hernandez,
Jason Licamele, Rafael Martinez
University of Arizona
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
November 4, 2009

2. Global food crisis
 Rapidly increasing population
 Diversion of foods to bio-fuels
 Increased costs for water, fertilizer, fuel
 Multiple demands for farmland (urban
sprawl, industrial and mining, solar and wind
generation, wildlife conservation, watershed
protection, global warming, etc.)
 Need for second generation biofuels

3. Need new model for food
production
 Green Revolution – huge increase in food
production, but heavy reliance on irrigation,
fuel and fertilizer
 Blue Revolution – almost 50% of seafood is
farm raised, but many environmental
impacts (effluents causing eutrophication,
algae blooms, cage and raft conflicts with
other users in oceans, bays and lakes)

4. Historical perspective
 Traditional farming around the world integrated
livestock and crops
 East and South Asian farmers have long
tradition of integrating agriculture and
aquaculture
 Asian sustainable farming systems support huge
populations
 Fish – vegetable – rice (complex carbohydrate)
diet is recommended by most nutrition experts

5. Historical perspective
 Modern agriculture cannot follow Asian
model of small-farm integrated systems
(gardening)
 We need an industrial version merging
aqua- and agri- cultures
 Taking the best of the Green and Blue
Revolutions

6. Green Revolutions weaknesses are Blue
Revolutions needs and vice-versa
1. Fertilizer demand 1. Aquaculture effluent
rich in N and P
2. Increase in irrigation 2. Fish grow well in
irrigation water
3. Chemical fertilizers 3. Fish wastes are slow
pollute groundwater release, organic
4. Industrial crops with by- 4. Fish feeds need
products alternatives for fish
meal and oil

7. Tropical Inland Integrated System
 Tilapia oil palm, rice, sugar cane

8. Tilapia and citrus in Hainan, China

9. Arid Integrated Systems
Tilapia Grapes, wheat, olives, barley,
sorghum, cotton, melons, peppers
Safford, AZ Marana, AZ

10. Desert Springs Tilapia, Hyder AZ

11. Gila Farms, AZ

12. Tilapia/koi/catfish to
cotton/barley irrigation

13. Road
Well
101 W.W.
102 F.E. + S.F.
103 F.E.
Barley
(Cotton)
104 W.W + S.F.
(Larger Pond)
201 F.E. + S.F.
- not to scale
202 W.W. + S.F.
Road
203 F.E.
Barley
(Cotton)
204 W.W.
siphon
IRRIGATION
301 W.W. + S.F.
302 F.E.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
PIPES
303 W.W.
Barley
(Cotton)
Tilapia
304 F.E. + S.F.
PUMP
401 F.E.
Fish Pond
402 W.W.
Floating Cages
403 W.W. + S.F.
Barley
(Cotton)
small pond (not to scale)
404 F.E. + S.F.
160 ft 15 ft
Road

14. Data report – Tilapia effluents
irrigating cotton
 Water pH reduced from 8.3 to 8.0
 Added 19.7 kg/ha total N during one crop.
Total N applied with water (kg/ha)
25
20
15
Well
10 Pond
5
0 t
ay
r
ne
ly
il
us
be
pr
Ju
M
Ju
ug
m
A
e
A
pt
Se

15. Results - Integration of aquaculture
and agriculture
 Contributed 2.6 kg/ha P to crop.
Total P applied with water (kg/ha)
3
2.5
2
Well
1.5
Pond
1
0.5
0
t
ay
r
ne
ly
il
us
be
pr
Ju
M
Ju
ug
m
A
e
A
pt
Se

16. Tilapia and barley study

17. Arid Integrated Systems
 Tilapia cages to cotton Tilapia to hydroponics
Ak Chin, AZ University of Arizona

18. Aquaponics
Tilapia and
lettuce

19. RESULTS
Effluent nutrient values
 0.07 mg/L NH3, 0.321 mg/L NO2,
21.2 mg/L NO3, 0.17 mg/L total P
 Fertilizer value about 43 kg/ha N and
0.34 kg/ha P

20. Olives with aquaculture
Olives with well water effluent

21. Height (m)
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
Mar-02
Apr-02
May-02
Jun-02
Jul-02
Aug-02
Sep-02
Oct-02
Nov-02
Effluent
Dec-02
Jan-03
Feb-03
Mar-03
Fertilizer
Apr-03
May-03
Jun-03
Olive Tree Height Over Time
Jul-03
Well Water Aug-03
Sep-03
Oct-03
Nov-03
Dec-03
Jan-04
Feb-04
Data report -Olives irrigated with effluent

22. Use of Tilapia/shrimp sludge as a
soil amendment for tomatoes
Chad King
Environmental Research Lab
University of Arizona

23. Research Design
 Collected and dried fresh sludge from a
tilapia/shrimp farm in western Arizona, USA
 Treatments of 5, 10 and 20% sludge application by
volume, 402, 805 and 1,610 g/plant
 Mechanically mixed shrimp sludge and potting soil
mix (concrete sand, mulch, vermiculite)
 Randomly transplanted and arranged 28 ‘Roma’
tomato starts in a greenhouse, one plant per pot
 Each plant received 4 L of water daily, over four
applications by drip irrigation
 Response measured in mass of tomatoes produced

25. Tilapia / shrimp sludge
characteristics
Sample Total Total Total NO3-N Olsen Soluble EC
N PO4-P K P K
% dry % dry % dry µg/g µg/g µg/g dS/m
matter matter matter
1 0.13 0.10 0.23 1497.4 22.60 27.3
2 0.48 0.21 0.20 4.36 73.50 53.6 8.5
Total N, PO4-P and K show total plant macronutrients
NO3-N, Olsen P and soluble K show plant available nutrients
EC provides a measurement of soil salinity

27. Tomato Production
Treatment Tomato Mass SEM
(g/plant)
0% (Control) 39.2a 11.54
5% 65.1a 11.14
402 g/plant
10% 141.1b 20.73
805 g/plant
20% 113.6b 19.9
1,620 g/plant
Different superscripts indicate a significant difference, p<0.05

28. Results
 Applications of 10% and 20%
increased plant production
 Land application will benefit crop
production while providing a disposal
mechanism
 Soil salinity must be monitored
 Sludge is highly variable, depending
on pond management

29. Coastal Integrated Systems
 Shrimp / tilapia Halophytes and seaweeds

30. Shrimp/tilapia and edible seaweeds

31. Data report - Daily growth rates of
Gracilaria with effluent over 4 weeks
10
9
% growth per day
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
In effluent Transferred Chemical Not fertilzed
channel to ocean fertilizer

32. Tilapia-shrimp-halophytes Eritrea
Salicornia
Mangroves
Mangroves
Salicornia
Shrimp and tilapia ponds

33. Shrimp and Salicornia (halophyte)

34. Tilapia – shrimp – seaweed polyculture in Indonesia

35. Gracilaria
Shrimp
Tilapia

36. Polyculture tilapia/shrimp/algae
aquaculture
Algae represent the largest
aquaculture crop on global basis
Algae are a major component
of diet in Asia and Pacific
cuisine
Algae are a growing sector for
niche markets in the US

37. Demonstration ponds stocked with Gracilaria
KAB. ACEH PIDIE
(5.073) Ha
Aceh Besar KAB.
BIREUN(6.710) Ha
KAB. ACEH BESAR
(3.450) Ha

38. Initial stocks from Ohama corporate farm (1000 kg)
brought to Sumatra
Material loaded from farm Fresh
material
Gracilaria distributed into ponds

39.  Workshops and training
 Field visits to farmers

40. Brackish water tilapia – seaweeds
Fish cage effluents
(feed and feces)
fertilize seaweed

41.  Fresh Gracilaria from the tilapia/shrimp pond

42. Conclusions
 Our planet has limited water resources and
we should embrace multiple use and generate
at least two crops from each drop
 Integrated aquaculture – agriculture is
sustainable and profitable