Author(s): Subrata Mondal, MD Abdul Wahab, Benoy Kumar Barman and MD Mer Mosharraf Hossain

Abstract: An investigation was conducted for simultaneous production of rice and fish in framers’ plot from July-December 2012 in North-west region of Bangladesh. It consisted of three treatments and each having five replicates. The experimental species were rui (Labeo rohita), catla (Catla catla), mrigal (Cirrhinus cirrhosus), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), silver barb (Barbodes gonionotus), bata (Labeo bata), mola (Amblypharyngodon Mola) and dark in a (Esomus danricus). In rice plot different carps and mola were stocked in T₁-Treatment (RC_M), carps and dark in a in T₂-Treatment (RC_D) and both mola and dark in a with carps in T₃-Treatment (RC_MD). The stocking rates of carps were same (20/dec.) in all treatments. Mola and dark in awere stocked only in a ditch area basis at a rate of 150g/dec. in treatments T₁ and T₂, respectively. Whereas, treatment T₃ was stocked with 75g mola and 75g dark in ape decimal. Some important water quality parameters (i.e. temperature, transparency, DO, pH and alkalinity) were recorded at monthly interval. Those parameters did not vary significantly except alkalinity among all treatments. Forty eight genera (48) of phytoplankton and fifteen genera (15) of zooplankton were identified during the experimental period under different treatments. The gross production of fishes was the highest (1, 023 kg ha^-1) in T₃ and the lowest (994 kg ha^-1) in T₂. Between the treatments (T₁ and T₂), dark in a production was 4% higher than mola. In cash earning, mola contributed just double of darkina between RC_M and RC_D treatments. Among the treatments carp production was more or less similar, but the production of rice and straw were higher in T₃. Both mola and dark in a reproduced two to three times during the experiment in different plots. So, the total fish production was enhanced for their self-recruit characteristics. Among all fishes, mola played a major part for increasing BCR because of their high market value. Among the three treatments, the highest BCR (2.70) was recorded in T₁, where 232.56 kg ha^-1 mola was produced. Carp-SIS polyculture in rice-field provided the farmers with nutrient-rich mola and dark in a and also cash income with carps as well. From the concurrent culture, the fish excreta accumulated in the soil, which would increase rice production in the following year. In order to meet soaring demand of fish for food and nutrition for the people of Bangladesh, there is great potential for increased fish production in the rice fields.

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