Impact of Rice-Catfish/Shrimp Co-culture on Nutrients Fluxes Across Sediment-Water Interface in Intensive Aquaculture Ponds

Abstract

Exchange of nitrogen and phosphorus across sediment-water interface plays an important role in the management of nutrient recycling in the aquaculture pond. In this study, a plot experiment was conducted to study the effect of rice-catfish/shrimp co-culture on the micro-profile of oxygen (O2), pH and nutrient exchange across sediment-water interface in the intensive culture ponds. The results showed that rice-catfish co-culture increased the concentration and penetrating depth of O2, but decreased the pH value across the sediment-water interface, compared with catfish monoculture. Additional rice cultivation significantly reduced the flux rates of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) across sediment-water interface in the catfish and shrimp ponds. The flux rates of NO2− and soluble phosphorus (PO43−) showed no significant difference between rice-catfish/shrimp co-culture ponds and catfish/shrimp monoculture ponds. Rice only affected the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fractions in the sediment. The concentrations of NH4+ were significantly lower in the sediment of co-culture ponds than in the monoculture ponds. Additional rice cultivation also significantly reduced the content and percentage of dissolved inorganic phosphorus in the sediment of catfish ponds. Keywords: sediment-water interface, rice-fish co-culture, eutrophication, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling, aquaculture