Integration of Fish and Shrimp Culture into Large-Scale Irrigation Projects

1. Integration of Fish and Shrimp Culture into Large-Scale Irrigation Projects Kevin Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. Environmental Research Lab Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science University of Arizona Oct. 20, 2000

2. Introduction • Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector in production agriculture in the US and worldwide. • Aquatic plants and animals are only now being domesticated. • US industry is dwarfed by aquaculture in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

3. Introduction • Integration of aquaculture and agriculture in not a new concept. • Fish/rice, fish/vegetable, fish/duck and fish/pig systems in Eastern Asia are hundreds of years old. • These highly efficient systems and the healthy diets they produce are the primary reason for the high populations in East and South Asia.

4. Introduction • However, many of these integrated systems depend on animal and historically, on human wastes as fertilizer. • In many countries, use of animal wastes to fertilize fish systems will not be accepted. • Multiple-use of irrigation water is a special case of integration that avoids this situation.

5. Introduction • Irrigated agriculture has been a central part of the “Green Revolution”. • Irrigation should be part of the “Blue Revolution”. • Millions of hectares are irrigated worldwide. • Most of this water is ideally suited for aquaculture.

6. Introduction • Water is already controlled. • Either pumped from groundwater or diverted from natural or man-made watercourses. • Reservoirs and canal structures are ideal locations for fish culture. • Water is usually of high quality, often from the same source as drinking water. • Most water fit for drinking and/or agriculture, is fine for fish.

8. Typical irrigation schemes

9. Cages in Irrigation Reservoirs 100 m2 cages in Philippines

10. Can work w/ large cages Good water quality Need boat to steal fish Can grow large quantities Easy to lose lots of fish Subject to outside pollution Easy access by public Capital & permitting expenses Pro’s and con’s of cages in reservoirs

11. Production in Main Canals

12. Main Canals (3000 cfs)

13. Good water motion and quality Easy access One management entity Water interruptions are rare and/or scheduled Management may not be interested Water motion may be excessive Poaching High cost of cages Water may be interrupted Pro’s and con’s of cages in main canals

14. Modified delivery canals In-line or parallel raceways for fish production Raceways in Arizona Raceways in Mexico

15. Better control of water and access Adjustable flow rates Can modify production system Higher costs Less dilution capability Difficult to dry down May be on irrigation district land, not on-farm Pro’s and con’s of modified delivery canals

16. Diversions from well or delivery canal Tanks in Arizona Ponds in Costa Rica

17. On farm storage ponds • Growing in ponds or cages in ponds. Reservoir pond in Arizona Farm pond in Brazil

18. Multiple use Better control of water and access Some primary productivity Low cost Cages are easy to add Moderate cost to build ponds Must keep some water in ponds, difficult to dry down Pro’s and con’s of on farm storage ponds

19. Cages in delivery ditches

20. Easy harvest Better control of water and access Adjustable flow rates Easy poaching Flow rates variable Less dilution capability Need for dry down Pro’s and con’s of cages in delivery ditches

21. Production directly in delivery ditches

22. Easy harvest Better control of water and access Adjustable flow rates Easy poaching Flow rates variable Less dilution capability Need for dry down Easy to get over-spray and other pollution Pro’s and con’s of growing in delivery ditches

23. Cages in drainage ditch

24. Water is “free” No restrictions on use Nutrient rich Drain canals = Pollution Nutrients from fish are “wasted” Pro’s and Con’s of growing in drainage canals - “The Egypt Problem”

25. Species produced • Shrimp, trout, tilapia, catfish, grass carp and many other species can be grown in irrigation water.

26. Research Projects • Effluent management • Integration of aquaculture and agriculture • Shrimp production • Tilapia production

27. Research - Effluent management • Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) • Aquaculture operations producing 50,000 + lbs per year, with discharge to waters of the U.S. are considered CAFO’s (CWA, Section 318) • CAFO regulations are developed by the states and reviewed by the EPA. • EPA is considering new aquaculture industry specific regulations

28. Research - Effluent management • EPA is in process of regulating all aquaculture wastes • Field crop irrigation is accepted as a “Best Management Practice” by several states • Global Aquaculture Alliance and others promote multiple use. • EPA regulation drafts will be released for public comment in 2001.

29. Pond culture to cotton irrigation

30. Research Projects - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture • Experimental work at MAC and Safford • Irrigate cotton crops with water from catfish ponds and well water • Measure differences in water quality, nitrogen requirements & cotton yield • Determine economic impact

31. Research Projects - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture • First use of water for extensive pond culture. • Pond filled with well water. • Catfish stocked at 7,000 kg/ha • Second use to irrigate and fertilize cotton. • Replicated plots irrigated with well water and pond water.

32. Results - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture • Water pH reduced from 8.3 to 8.0 • Added 19.7 kg/ha N to 45 kg/ha used in standard fertilization schedule.

33. Results - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture • Contributed 2.6 kg/ha P to crop.

34. Results - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture: • No significant difference in cotton yield. • Need additional trials with less chemical fertilizer application. • No negative impacts on soils. • Split cost of water results in savings to farmers ($120/ha).

35. Results - Integration of aquaculture and agriculture: • Other expected benefits (more experiments needed to confirm & quantify):1. Slow release of organic wastes as fertilizer.2. Less chance of nitrates migrating to groundwater.3. Increase soil tilth (soil moisture capacity).

36. Shrimp and Irrigated Agriculture • Shrimp • Tilapia • Seaweed • Halophytes Puerto Peñasco, Mexico

37. Use of inland saline waters for “marine” species and irrigation • Enormous quantities of “low quality” groundwater in the Western US. • Much of this water is low grade geothermal. • Some has been used for conventional irrigation in the past. • Penaeid shrimp, redfish, oysters, seaweeds have been grown in-land.

39. Environmental constraints on conventional shrimp culture • Loss of mangroves and other coastal vegetation.

40. Environmental constraints on conventional shrimp culture • Effluents and nutrient enrichment • Impacts (real and imagined) on wild shrimp and other species (diseases, exotic species, genetic contamination). • Changes in estuarine flow patterns.

41. Low salinity inland shrimp culture • Florida, Harbor Branch Oceanographic • Mexico, Colima; Aquagranjas • Thailand, multiple • India, Andhra Pradesh • Texas: multiple farms and Texas A&M • Arizona: Gila Bend, Hyder, & Aztec Farms • University of Arizona

42. Inland shrimp production • All types of systems can be integrated with irrigation. Intensive ponds Extensive ponds Intensive raceways

43. Source groundwater • Low (1-2 ppt or 1000 -2000 ppm TDS). • Med (3-5 ppt or 3000 - 5000 ppm TDS) • Low can be used on conventional crops. • Medium salinity effluent constitutes a disposal problem. • Medium salinity effluent can be used for algae culture, seaweeds, halophyte crops.

44. Shrimp in inland waters • Low salinity can be used on certain conventional crops with proper cultivation techniques. Sorghum Olives

45. Research Project - Shrimp effluent on crops • Wood Brothers Farm in Gila Bend, AZ • 12 hectares of ponds, one greenhouse • Stocking Litopenaeus vannamei • 35 shrimp/m2 @ 0.4 g • Feed - Rangen • Aeration • Paddlewheels • Diffusers

46. RESULTSGila Bend, Low salinity • Water exchange: 10-15% • Survival 70% • Harvest after 95 days, @ 21 g • Yield • 7,500 kg/ha • 12 ha of ponds • Effluent used on olives, sorghum, cotton

47. RESULTSGila Bend, Low salinity • Preliminary data (summer 2000): • 0.07 mg/L NH3, 0.321 mg/L NO2, 21.2 mg/L NO3, 0.17 mg/L total P • Fertilizer value about 43 kg/ha N and 0.34 kg/ha P

48. RESULTSGila Bend, Low salinity • Algae bloom • more characteristic of freshwater • nutritional value for shrimp needs to be studied • Problems • Hemocytic enteritis • Gill fouling

49. RESULTS Aztec Farm, Medium salinity • Stocking L. vannamei, L. stylirostris • 5 to 10 shrimp/m2 @ PL 20 • Feed - Rangen • Water exchange: limited • Aeration:none

50. RESULTS 1999Aztec, Medium salinity • Survival L. vannamei, L. stylirostris • 10 to 30% • 3 grams per week at one point • Harvest after 120 days, @ 10 - 20 g • Yield - 20,000 kg • average = 1,000 kg/ha • 20 ha of ponds • 2000 results are reported to be better