Indian Aquaculture Research Articles

Importance of Proper Breeding Techniques in Enhancing Magur Seed Production

Fish farmers in eastern India, consider it to be a species of choice for diversifying their cultural practice since it provides them with a considerable return on their investment. The natural seeds of Magur have been sharply declining due to ecological imbalance in their natural breeding ground, which is low lying paddy field. This imbalance is caused by the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizer and chemical pesticides. However, the availability of Magur seeds in desired hours of stocking in desired quantity stands as a constraint to the propagation of culture of this species. It is consequently the only method that is feasible to reduce the severity of the issue, and that is to induce breeding of the species in captivity. There have only been a few models designed for the purpose of reproducing Magur in captivity, but each of these models involves a significant amount of financial investment. However, a labor-intensive and low-cost farmers'-friendly model for the production of small quantity seeds has not yet been standardized for rural small scale fish farmers. In this paper we found that magur seed production can be done through low cost investing, that’s why farmers or rural people get more economic profit. The study demonstrates how specific breeding techniques and management practices can significantly enhance seed production, contributing to the sustainability of Magur aquaculture in India.

Effect of Azolla meal-based diet on growth performance, haematological profile and proximate composition of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry

Optimising the cost of nutrients in fish diets is crucial for aquaculture production, as feed accounts for 50% of operational expenses in intensive aquaculture. The rising demand for mustard oil cake (MOC), a commonly used feed ingredient in Indian aquaculture, has led to a significant increase in its price due to its diverse applications. Azolla (Azolla pinnata), a free-floating freshwater plant, has attracted researchers in fish feed formulation due to its rich nutrient profile. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacement of MOC with Azolla meal in the diet of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry. Pelleted feed was formulated with Azolla meal replacing MOC at levels of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% and fed to fish. Growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), haematological parameters and proximate composition in fish carcass were assessed after 90 days of experimental feeding. Simultaneously, a control feed without supplementing of Azolla meal was also prepared. Fish were fed daily with the experimental diets at 8, 6 and 4% of their body weight during the first, second and third months respectively, in the morning hours (10:00 hrs). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to assess the effect of formulated diets on fish carcasses composition and haematological parameters. The results showed that replacing 30% of MOC with Azolla meal in the diet, led to significantly (p≤0.05) higher specific growth rate (SGR) and percentage weight gain and significantly (p≤0.05) lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) at this concentration. Fish survival rate ranged from 80.00 to 93.33% among different treatments. Further, significant (p≤0.05) differences were observed in both haematological parameters of fish and the proximate composition of fish carcass. among the different treatments. These findings suggest that MOC can be effectively replaced with 30% Azolla meal in the diet for rearing common carp fry to fingerling stage, without compromising the growth performance. Keywords: Aquaculture, Feed conversion ratio, Health status, Mustard oil cake, Principal component analysis, Specific growth rate, Survival

In vitro efficacy of aquaculture antimicrobials and genetic determinants of resistance in bacterial isolates from tropical aquaculture disease outbreaks.

Understanding the efficacy of antimicrobials against pathogens from clinical samples is critical for their responsible use. The manuscript presents in vitro efficacy and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in seven species of fish pathogens from the disease outbreaks of Indian aquaculture against oxytetracycline, florfenicol, oxolinic acid, and enrofloxacin. In vitro efficacy was evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The gene-specific PCR screened AMR genes against quinolones (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) and tetracyclines (tetM, tetS, tetA, tetC, tetB, tetD, tetE, tetH, tetJ, tetG, and tetY). The results showed that Aeromonas veronii (45%) showed the maximum resistance phenotype, followed by Streptococcus agalactiae (40%), Photobacterium damselae (15%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (10%), and Vibrio vulnificus (5%). There was no resistance among Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio alginolyticus against the tested antimicrobials. The positive association between tetA, tetB, tetC, tetM, or a combination of these genes to oxytetracycline resistance and qnrS to quinolone resistance indicated their potential in surveillance studies. The prevalence of resistance phenotypes (16.43%) and evaluated AMR genes (2.65%) against aquaculture antimicrobials was low. The resistance phenotype pattern abundance was 0.143. All the isolates showed susceptibility to florfenicol. The results help with the appropriate drug selection against each species in aquaculture practices.

Melodious tuning of microbial dynamics in biofloc, cage, and pond culturing system: a study on Pangasius pangasius fish gut microbiome.

Aquaculture, a rapidly expanding sector, meets the global surging demand for aquatic food. Pangasius, a highly valued freshwater species, has seen a significant increase in demand due to its adaptability and potential for high yields, making it a promising candidate for aquaculture in India. This study investigates the gut microbiome composition of Pangasius pangasius fish cultured in three different systems (biofloc, cage, and pond). Metagenomic DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene-targeted sequencing were performed. Outcomes revealed distinct microbial compositions across culture types, with significant differences in species richness and diversity, specifically in the biofloc system, compared to cages and ponds. Taxonomic analysis identified prevalent phyla such as Firmicutes and Fusobacteriota, with varying abundances among culture systems. The genus-level analysis highlighted dominant genera such as Cetobacterium and WWE3. Functional profiling indicated differences in enzymatic activity and metabolic pathways, emphasizing each culture sample type's unique microbial community structures. Notably, the microbiota from BF samples exhibited significant differences and unique metabolic pathways compared to the microbiota from C and P samples, which showed greater similarity and shared several common metabolic pathways. These findings highlight substantial differences in microbial diversity across the culturing systems, reflecting the microbiota's ability to adapt to specific environments and their potential role in promoting fish growth within those environments. Overall, this study provides insights into the gut microbiome diversity and functionality in Pangasius pangasius across different aquaculture environments, contributing to a better understanding of host-microbe interactions and aquaculture management strategies.

A Review on Genetic Improvement in Aquaculture through Selective Breeding

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic plants. Selective breeding is a key tool used in aquaculture to improve the genetic makeup of farmed species and enhance their productivity and desirable traits. This review explores the application of quantitative genetic principles in fish breeding, which has advanced more slowly compared to livestock breeding. Traditional fish breeding designs are often complicated by confounding effects, making it necessary to modify standard practices to distinguish additive, maternal, and non-additive genetic influences for effective genetic improvement. Selective breeding is essential in aquaculture, offering rapid selection responses and significant genetic gains. Despite the economic importance of traits in aquaculture species, there is limited knowledge of their phenotypic and genetic parameters due to underdeveloped breeding programs. This review highlights various selective breeding programs for key species such as salmon, trout, tilapia, and carp. Carp breeding, crucial in Indian aquaculture, has demonstrated substantial growth rate enhancements through selective breeding. The review underscores the potential of selective breeding to enhance economically significant traits in aquaculture, emphasizing the need for ongoing research and development in genetic improvement strategies.

Genetic diversity of common carp Cyprinus carpio in the base population of a selective breeding programme in India

A selective breeding program for developing a suitable strain of Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus, 1758) for inland saline aquaculture in India is in progress. At ICAR-CIFE, various geographical populations of common carp of India, viz. Madhya Pradesh (MP), Haryana (HR), Tripura (TR), Andhra Pradesh (AP), Manipur (MN), and Maharashtra (MH) formed the base population for selective breeding. The present study assesses the genetic diversity of these stocks using truss morphometry and mitochondrial DNA D loop marker analysis. The images of 600 fish were captured and digitized. The landmarks were identified, and an image network was constructed for truss analysis using tpsDig2 and PAST software. The data was subjected to scale transformation and factor analysis using SAS for Academics. The top 3 factors could explain 85.40% of the total variation. The results indicate stock-wise and sex-wise groupings. The mitochondrial DNA (D-loop) sequence analysis was conducted on 169 samples using MEGA6 software. The overall average haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the population were 0.08129 and 0.01134, respectively. Among stocks, the MP stock had a maximum of four haplotypes. The AMOVA results reveal that the stock AP is unique, and the other stocks form a single grouping. The information generated from the present study delineates genetic diversity among stocks and will aid in designing breeding plans.

Investigation of Heavy Metals Contamination in Indian Aquaculture Shrimp -Litopenaeus vannamei

The expanding aquaculture industry in India has raised concerns about potential environmental contaminants, particularly heavy metals in seafood products. This study aims to assess the presence and levels of heavy metals in Indian aquaculture shrimp, focusing on the widely cultivated species Litopenaeus vannamei. Shrimp samples were collected from diverse aquaculture sites across India and rigorous analytical techniques were employed to quantify the concentrations of various heavy metals. Preliminary findings indicate the potential presence of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in the shrimp tissues. The study explores potential sources of contamination including water quality, sediments and feed to ascertain the pathways through which these heavy metals enter the shrimp cultivation environment.

Identification and virulence gene characterization of pathogenic bacteria from diseased <i>Labeo rohita</i> (Hamilton, 1822): Insight into aquatic animal health management in Indian aquaculture

<p>Aquaculture is one of the major economic activities in India, providing livelihoods and nutritional security to millions of people. In recent times, fish diseases have come to the limelight resulting in significant economic losses. We aimed to identify pathogenicity and virulence profiling of thirty-six pathogenic bacterial strains isolated from diseased <italic>Labeo rohita</italic> in the district of Hooghly, West Bengal, India. The bacterial strains were characterized through a comprehensive approach involving the examination of morphological features, biochemical properties, amplification, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA, species-specific genes, and virulence genes. Considering the prevalence frequency, virulence potential, and statistical significance <italic>Aeromonas hydrophila</italic> and <italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic> were selected for a survival assay followed by the examination of histopathological features to elucidate their effects. The identified bacterial isolates were arranged based on their predominance frequency, i.e., <italic>Aeromonas hydrophila</italic> (25%), <italic>Aeromonas veronii</italic> (22%), <italic>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</italic> (22%), <italic>Enterococcus faecalis</italic> (14%), <italic>Klebsiella pneumoniae</italic> (6%), <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> (6%) and <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> (5%). Sixteen virulence-associated genes related to pathogenicity were amplified across the thirty-six isolates; <italic>aer, alt, lip</italic> and <italic>hlyA</italic> for <italic>A. hydrophila</italic>; <italic>exoS, lasB</italic>, <italic>toxA, oprL</italic> and <italic>phzM</italic> for <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic>; <italic>entB, fimH</italic> and <italic>uge</italic> in <italic>K. pneumoniae</italic>; <italic>aer</italic> in <italic>A. veronii</italic>; <italic>hlyA</italic> in <italic>E. coli</italic>; <italic>hlb</italic> in <italic>S. aureus</italic> and <italic>gelE</italic> for <italic>E. faecalis</italic>. The log-probit analysis revealed that <italic>A</italic>. <italic>hydrophila</italic> was notably more pathogenic than <italic>P. aeruginosa</italic>, as indicated by its lower lethal dose of 1.5×10<sup>4</sup> CFU/mL. Additionally, histological examination revealed notable pathological changes, including tissue degeneration, inflammatory cell infiltration and vacuolation observed in the liver, kidney, gill and intestine of the challenged fish. We highlighted several potent aquatic microbial pathogens in order to manage and prevent such aquacultural maladies.</p>

Selection and development of superior strains through functional trait-based approach in agarophytic red alga Gracilaria dura (Rhodophyta)

Aim: Gracilaria dura, a red agarophyte, is known for its high-quality agarose content and holds significant potential for commercial applications in aquaculture-related industries. The successful commercial utilization of seaweeds relies heavily on obtaining high-quality seed material with commercially valuable traits. Methodology: This study focuses on employing a functional trait-based approach to develop superior strains of G. dura for commercial aquaculture in India. Cultivation through an open sea farm, variations in growth, agar yield, pigments, antioxidant capacity, and primary productivity among the strains were observed. Results: The daily growth rate ranged from 0.5 to 3.5% per day, while pigment content exhibited variations in the Chlorophyll-a, R-Phycocyanin, and R-Phycoerythrin contents. Antioxidant capacity and gross primary productivity also displayed diverse ranges. From a total of 38 strains of G. dura, three were selected based on their growth and other functional traits, namely ADI0221201, VER0220090, and ADI0221202. Positive correlations were identified between growth and regeneration, as well as growth and Chl-a. Agar content showed a positive association with antioxidant capacity and productivity. 1H NMR analysis identified 12 metabolites as potential biomarkers for G. dura growth. Interpretation: All three selected strains hold promise for future commercial cultivation of Gracilaria dura. Furthermore, six additional strains were selected based on their higher growth and agar yield for targeted breeding and hybridization to enhance desirable traits. Key words: Agarophyte, Aquaculture, Functional traits, Growth, Gracilaria dura, Strain selection

Functional characterization of Labeo rohita muscle cell line for in vitro research.

Labeo rohita represents the most dominant fish species in Indian aquaculture and the fish cell lines have been used as an excellent in vitro platform for performing variousbiological research. The LRM cell culture developed from the muscle tissue of L. rohita was used to study the in vitro applications. The developed muscle cells were maintained in a Leibovitz's-15 (L-15) supplemented with 10% FBS (Fetal Bovine Serum) and 10ng/ml bFGFat 28 oC temperature. The LRM cells showed fibroblastic-like morphology and was authenticated by sequencing mitochondrial gene 16S rRNA. The expression of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs) was studied in different stages of LRM cells; however, the expression patterns varied at different passages. The MEF2A, Mrf-4, and Myogenin expressions were higher in passage 25, while the expression of MyoD was maximum in passage 15, and the expression of Myf-5 was highest in passage 1.The transfection efficiency of LRM cells revealed 14% of the GFP expression with a pmaxGFP vector DNA. The LRM cells were susceptible to the extracellular products prepared from Aeromonas hydrophilla and Edwardsiella tarda. The acute cytotoxicity of six heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni) was assessed in LRM cells by a dose-dependent manner in comparison to IC50 values obtained from MTT and NR assays. A revival rate of 70-75% was achieved when the LRM cells were cryopreserved at - 196°C using liquid nitrogen. The developed muscle cells serve as an functional in vitro tool for toxicological and biotechnological studies.

Recent Advances in Tilapia Production for Sustainable Developments in Indian Aquaculture and Its Economic Benefits

Tilapia is a widely cultured species native to Africa; these fish are prolific breeders and constitute an economically important fish species supplying higher-quality protein. To meet the global food demand and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG), the aquaculture industry has conceived of productive solutions with the potential for adaptability, palatability, and profitability. Tilapia may play a vital role with respect to the possibility for sustainability in the nutrition and aquaculture sectors. India contributes to the promotion of aquacultural practices through a structural framework focused on agricultural, environmental, geographical, and socio-economic factors that provide opportunities for tilapia farming. Globally, the Indian aquaculture sector is currently the second largest in terms of aquacultural production but is moving toward different species that meet SDG and facilitate international marketing opportunities. The farming of aquacultural species with innovative technology constitutes an efficient use of resources. Productive research on feeding, disease management, construction, and layout helps overcome the challenges faced in aquaculture. These focused and sustained factors of the aquaculture industry offer a latent contribution to global food security. This review reports on the state of the art, the challenges regarding tilapia aquaculture in India, and the Indian government’s schemes, missions, subsidies, projects and funding related to tilapia production.

An insight into the interaction between Argulus siamensis and Labeo rohita offers future therapeutic strategy to combat argulosis.

Aquaculture and fisheries are salient flourishing sectors in the world but their sustainability is often afflicted by several pathogenic diseases. Among all the pathogenic diseases of fish, parasitic diseases are found to be a major cause of concern. Argulosis is one of the dominant parasitic problems encountered in Indian aquaculture practices. Argulus siamensis is the most prevalent argulid species harming the Indian major carp species including Labeo rohita. The major carps respond to parasitic infestation by elevating various immune relevant genes. The therapeutic chemicals, synthetic drugs and other plant extracts have made a progress in the fight against argulosis. However, there is no effective vaccine and drugs are available for this disease. Thus, designing efficient, cost-effective and eco-friendly control and treatment strategies for argulosis is presently needed. Keeping the aforementioned facts in mind, the current review elaborated the immunological interaction between A. siamensis and L. rohita, available combat tactics, highlighted the already identified vaccine candidates to design effective control measures and illustrated the use of omics technology in future to combat argulosis.

Robust control of water quality in intensive aquaculture using multi‐variable quantitative feedback theory: From an Indian context

AbstractThis paper addresses the problem of controlling turbidity, dissolved oxygen, ammonium‐ion concentration, and water‐temperature to maintain the desired water quality in an intensive aquaculture plant. The research is carried out to fit into the present scenario of intensive aquaculture in India. The plant model along with uncertain parameters are derived using physical laws and the data acquired from an aquaculture pond in Assam, India. A pre‐compensated multi‐variable quantitative feedback theory (QFT)‐based fully populated robust matrix controller is proposed to mitigate the control challenge. A novel method is used to design the pre‐compensator to enhance the diagonal dominance of plant transfer function matrix. The desired robust stability, reference tracking, and sensitivity specifications are fulfilled by the proposed QFT‐based robust controller despite the parametric uncertainty. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through numerical simulation. A comparative study against a controller shows that the proposed controller strategy gives a satisfactory performance compared to it.

Understanding and approaches towards circular bio‐economy of wastewater reuse in fisheries and aquaculture in India: An overview

AbstractCircular bio‐economy of biogenic resources designates the plunging use of such resources, adopting a systemically formatted pathway towards sustainable economic development. Aquaculture has been perceived to play a pivotal role in supplying protein and mineral rich organic food to a growing human population. The exponential growth of aquaculture sector during the last four decades has established itself in a fundamental way to supply the global need of valuable animal protein. However, the on‐going production strategies may likely be proved unsustainable if the present level of exploitation and resource use continues. Emphasis only on augmenting productivity and yield with insufficient and/or inefficient pollution control measures, and water quality clean‐ups, direct discharge of effluents in the open ambient environment from aquaculture production systems have manifested in variable degrees of pollution particularly in the open water bodies; thereby causing significant impairment of these ecosystems. The paper discusses the various techniques of bioprocessing in re‐circulatory aquaculture system, aquaponics, biofloc technology, waste water aquaculture and circular enclosure culture for inland water bodies to recycle the waste generated from fisheries and aquaculture and converting the same to fish flesh, at the same time reducing the impact on environment. The study also highlights the potential attributes and benefits of circular bio‐economy, discusses recent advances and updates the current status of knowledge base for future research planning towards sustainability. Rationality perspectives of the system design with regards to simplicity, energy efficiency and budget in attaining circularity emerged as pertinent factors in bio‐circularity in resource use in aquaculture.

Isolation and characterization of Vibrio owensii from Palk Bay and its infection study against post larvae of Litopenaeus vannamei

Vibrio is heterotrophic ubiquitous marine bacteria that plays dual role as putative halobiont and potential pathogen. Environment and diseases are inextricable hence the role of vibrio as a potential pathogen in the natural environment must be comprehended. Hence the present study aims at investigating the pathogenicity of Vibrio owensii on the post larvae of Litopenaeus vannamei. V. owensii isolated from the marine natural habitat of the Palk Bay province in India was highly resistant to ampicillin, methicillin, tetracycline and vancomycin. The strain also lacked pathogenicity against the post larvae of L. vannamei due to the absence of major virulence factors viz. Chitinase, phospholipase and hemolytic activity. Presumably this is the first report on the occurrence of V. owensii in the Indian waters therefore there arises a need to carry out more serious research on the pathogenicity of this species on other commercial crustaceans reared in the Indian aquaculture settings in order to apprehend its role as potential pathogen or the contrary.

Is aquaculture development responsible for mangrove conversion in India? - A geospatial study to assess the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on mangroves in the last three decades

Aquaculture was cited as the primary factor for the reduction of mangrove area worldwide. But, there is no data available on the extent of conversion of mangroves for aquaculture in India, the second largest country in global aquaculture production. The present study assessed the factors of changes in mangroves area between the pre aquaculture period and recent years. Landsat TM images of 1988, Sentinel 2 A images of 2018, geospatial analysis, ground truth verification, post-classification approach, and accuracy assessment were used for the assessment. Comparing the extent of mangroves area in 1988 with 2018, the gain and loss was 278% and 30% in Kerala, 859% and 19% in Karnataka, 204% and 18% in Maharashtra, and 4100 and 20% in Daman and Diu respectively. Mangrove extent has increased due to restoration activities, while lost due to coastal erosion and other developmental activities. Combining mangrove statistics drawn from this study with available data from earlier study, indicate that the aquaculture has converted 2052 ha of mangroves, which represents 0.66% of India's mangrove area. The extent of mangroves increased by 20.72% in India between 1988 and 2018. There is a possibility that part of the mangrove - converted lands are privately owned. Besides, Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act of 2005 prohibits the use of mangrove lands to aquaculture. The present study proves that shrimp aquaculture is not accountable for the large-scale changes in the mangrove lands of India, except in Andhra Pradesh State. However, it demands the land use policy to protect the mangrove lands in private owned lands by allocating alternate resource space, and monitoring periodically.

Technical efficiency analysis of shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh, India using stochastic frontier approach

Brackishwater aquaculture sector is dominated by the exotic vannamei shrimp farming, which is the economic engine of Indian aquaculture. In 2019-20, exports of 12,89,651 t of Indian marine products fetched foreign exchange worth ₹46,662.85 crores and farmed shrimps accounted for about two-thirds of the shrimps exported. Shrimp farming is export oriented and market price often fluctuates widely impacting the profitability significantly. We conducted this study to estimate technical efficiency of the shrimp farmers In Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh State which tops in shrimp aquaculture in the country. The data were collected through structured questionnaire using personal interview from 80 farmers during COVID 2020 pandemic period. The farm specific technical efficiency varied from 75 to 94% with a mean of 93%. The estimates of the discrepancy parameter γ indicated that 93% of the difference between the maximum possible output and actual output were due to differences in technical inefficiencies of farmers Feed and labour are the significant variables compared to other variables. The results indicated that farmers need to be encouraged to apply more feed to increase shrimp production. Keywords: Stochastic production frontier, Sustainability, Technical efficiency, Vannamei shrimp aquaculture

Leaf Powder of Eupatorium odoratum Enhances Non-specific Immune Response and Resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila Infection in Cyprinus carpio (Linn. 1758)

Background: Aeromonas hydrophila is considered a major bacterial pathogen in Indian aquaculture. The various experimental trials are being conducted as a control measure against A. hydrophila infection in fish. The study evaluated the effect of dietary inclusion of crude dried leaf powder of Eupatorium odoratum at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% to study the immune response and disease resistance in fingerlings of Cyprinus carpio experimentally infected with A. hydrophila. Methods: The fingerlings of C. carpio were orally administered crude dried leaf powder of E. odoratum at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % through feed for 55 days followed by challenge with A. hydrophila. The biochemical, haematological and immunological parameters of the fish samples analyzed on 55th and 62nd day of the feeding trial to evaluate the immune response and disease resistance. Result: The comparative analysis of biochemicals, haematological and immunological parameters confirmed that the fingerlings fed with dry crude leaf powder of E. odoratum at 0.5-1.0% showed enhanced leucocytes count, hemoglobin, lysozyme activity, superoxide anion production, bactericidal activity, the total protein and albumin content in pre and post-infected experimental groups. The highest relative survival percentage of fingerlings was recorded in groups fed with 1.0% dietary inclusion of dried crude leaf powder of E. odoratum. Thus, the study concludes that dietary inclusion of crude dried leaf powder of E. odoratum at 1.0% level imparts improved immune response and resistance against A. hydrophila infection.

Usage pattern of chemicals, biologicals and veterinary medicinal products in Indian aquaculture

AbstractThe use of chemicals, biologicals and veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) helps in healthy and sustainable fish production. Information on the use of these products is essential for assessing farming practices, potential human health and environmental risks. A questionnaire‐based nationwide survey covering aquaculture farms (n = 2936) producing carps, tilapia, pangasius and rainbow trout in freshwater and shrimp in brackishwater estimated the use of 52 different types of inputs which included disinfectants (597 g t−1), probiotics (2.28 kg t−1), environmental modifiers (22.82 kg t−1), nutritional supplements (1.96 kg t−1), natural anti‐infective agents (293 g t−1), herbicide and piscicides (844 g t−1), antibiotics (2 mg PCU−1), antifungal (4 mg PCU−1), and antiparasitic (14 mg PCU−1) agents. The bulk of these inputs was used for soil and water quality improvement and had low environmental and human safety concerns. The multivariate analysis revealed significant variation in the frequency and quantity of compounds use among farm groups. Redundancy analysis revealed a significant association between the number of products used and stocking density. The survey also showed a considerable influence of education and farming experience on the usage pattern of aquaculture inputs. Results of the study indicated greater reliance of farmers on the use of disinfectants for biosecurity, nutritional supplements for enhanced growth and environmental modifiers for maintaining soil and water quality in culture systems. Though there was no use of restricted antibiotics and antiparasitic agents, the development and implementation of standard regulatory guidelines are essential for safe and effective use of inputs for sustainable aquaculture.

Sustainable food production through integrated rice-fish farming in India: a brief review

AbstractThe exponential increase in population and economic activities has led to the intensification of agriculture and aquaculture in developing countries. The Green Revolution in the 1960s and Blue Revolution in the 1980s were giant steps in this direction to meet the food demand of the burgeoning population. It resulted in the increased use of modern technology for the intensification of agriculture and aquaculture in India. However, coping with the ever-increasing demand for food has adversely impacted our environment. Hence, it is imperative that we explore sustainable practices that enable us to produce more food without compromising environmental integrity and human health. Integrated rice-fish farming is one such solution that optimizes use of resources, maintains sustainable environmental conditions and provides socio-economic stability to the farmers. This review summarizes the various integrated rice-fish cultivation systems practiced in India including traditional practices, their importance, recent development in this area and the existing challenges.