Chemical fertilizer reduction and soil fertility maintenance in rice–fish coculture system

Abstract

In the long run, whether the use of chemical fertilizers could be reduced and soil fertility could be maintained through rice–fish coculture is less well known. At the pilot site of the rice–fish coculture system, which is one of the five “globally important agricultural heritage systems” (GIAHS), we conducted a 4-year study to compare fertilizer use, rice yield, and soil fertility in rice–fish coculture and rice monoculture. Based on the survey data from 21 villages, rice yield did not differ between rice monoculture and rice–fish coculture, but less chemical fertilizers were used in rice–fish coculture than in rice monoculture. Survey data from 145 farms also showed that rice–fish coculture farms with high input of feed for fish used less chemical fertilizers for rice production than farms with low input of feed for fish. In the 4-year field experiment, although less fertilizer was used in rice–fish coculture, rice yield, soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, and soluble phosphorus did not differ between rice–fish coculture and rice monoculture. Our results suggest that rice–fish coculture can reduce chemical fertilizers application, enhance land productivity, and maintain soil fertility. Our results also suggest that rice–fish coculture could reduce the risk of non-point source pollution by reducing the input of chemical fertilizers.

Keywords

rice monoculture / rice–fish coculture / fertilizers / rice yield / soil fertility

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2006CB100206), Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, China (No. 2008C12064), Wenzhou Bureau of Science and Technology of Zhejiang, China (No. N20080024), and Key Laboratory of Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China. We thank Prof. Shiming LUO at South China Agricultural University for helpful comments during the preparation of the text.

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