Optimisation of Nutrient Dynamics and Animals for Integrating Farming (POND)

Introduction

The INREF-POND programme aims at the quantification and optimisation of nutrient dynamics in integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) farming systems and the improvements/changes that can result from introducing selected breeds. Production environments will be characterised by the natural resources available at the farm and the nutrient dynamics.

Keywords

Tilapia, agriculture-aquaculture, fish-pond, integrated systems, nutrient cycling, Vietnam, Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa

Scope & objectives

The general objective of the INREF-POND project is to quantify and optimise changes in nutrient dynamics in integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) farming systems after the introduction of selected fish breeds. Specifically, the following steps will be taken:

• Characterise production environments by natural resources available at the farm
• Characterise nutrient dynamics on IAA farms
• Investigate role of fish ponds and fish strains at the farm level to create a more sustainable farming system
• Develop and evaluate methods to match aquatic and terrestrial systems

The programme is organised following a multi-level approach:

• The Farming system (encompassing the combined terrestrial-aquatic system): Existing IAA farming systems in Vietnam will be screened through agro-ecological zonification and a rapid rural appraisal. The research aims at fine-tuning the fish, livestock, and crop compartments of the integrated farming system. Focus will be on the role of IAA systems in livelihood strategies as well as on the environmental issues related to the farming system.  
• The Pond system: The research aims at optimising the role of the pond in nutrient trapping and fish production, and minimising environmental impacts. High and low input (aquatic) systems will be identified.
• Fish genetics/improvement: Low and high input integrated systems as identified and quantified in part 1 will be used as test environments for a selection experiment. The performance of two selected fish strains and the changes that result from introducing these strains in terms of nutrient dynamics and sustainability of the farm system will be evaluated.

Activities

Eight PhD students were involved in the POND programme. The innitial five PhD positions were:

• Harrison Charo Karisa: Selection for fast growth in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in low-input earthen pond environments, Egypt.
• Patricia Muendo: The role of fish ponds in the nutrient dynamics of high and low input systems, Egypt.
• Le Thanh Phong: The role of aquaculture in changing fish-livestock-crop farming systems: what is the balance in sustainability?, Vietnam.
• Yonas Fessehaye (NUFFIC/INREF funded): Partner preferences in natural mating and mass-selection strategies for natural mating systems.
• Roel Bosma: Understanding farmers’ motivations to integrate livestock, fish and crop production, through analysis of farmer household decision-making by fuzzy logic modelling.

Three additional PhD projects were added to the POND programme in 2005:

• Mr Dang Kieu Nhan, Productivity and Nutrient Accumulation in Integrated-Aquaculture Ponds in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
• Mr Sharif Uddin, Utilisation of Peripython in Fish Ponds.
• Tranh Duy An (WOTRO funded): Oxygen as determinant of fish production in aquaculture systems in Vietnam

Publications