Integrated Farming Systems

[duckies]

Good morning to all! My name is Jackie Fernandes. I am a social health scientist cum duck farmer in Goa. I am looking for reference material as well as names of resource people- experts in integrated farming. I would be grateful to anyone who could pass me this information. Thank you for your attention.

 

[maitys]

Good morning to all! My name is Jackie Fernandes. I am a social health scientist cum duck farmer in Goa. I am looking for reference material as well as names of resource people- experts in integrated farming. I would be grateful to anyone who could pass me this information. Thank you for your attention.

Integrated farming is a traditional. Chinese practice has in recent years been further supported by the concept of an all-round 'development of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and other sideline occupations.
Redefined version of IFS is known as “ Biologically Integrated Farming System- BIFS “ is based on “there is no waste”, and “waste are only a misplace resource which can be converted to a valuable material for other products”

There is no “ One size fits all “ kind of model in BIFS .
All sustainable and successful BIFS’s are custom designed .
BIFS are designed using a wide range of local practices with pick and choose components as per local market , local taste buds , local bio diversity and local environment .
Some referral hints to custom design your IFS in GOA .

Local market and food choice :
Goan cuisine consists of rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat and baked products etc.
As far as I know , Goan taste buds favours sea fishes ( either fresh or dried ) rather than sweet water fishes or alternatively I can say Goan recipes goes well with scale less , single bone , sea fishes rather than , with scale boney fishes .
Only couple of small, with scale boney fish species are relished by Goans are viz. Sardine etc.

Usually three species of fishes are grown together in IFS i.e. bottom feeder , column feeder and surface feed viz . Catla , Rohu , Mirighal , Silver Carp , Grass carp , Indian Carp , Prawn etc.
And all of them are with scale and boney fish !

So, your selection of fish species in the proposed IFS pond need to be single bone , with or without scale. Some of such fish species in this category are Murrel , Cat Fish , Asian Sea Buss or Chonak and some 12 other species etc.
Small sweet water fish species like Mola carplet , Shrimps , Sweet Water Prawns , Ganges River Sprat , Two spot Barb , Butter Catfish , Tank Goby , Gangetic alia etc. can be included in the aquaculture with protection from their predators Snakehead Murrel , Cat fish etc.
Sun dried sweet water small fishes are a refreshing change of taste .

Other than sea fishes Goan consumes a lots of shell fishes ( Snails , Mussels , Oyster, Prawn , clams, scallops , crab etc. )
All these shell fish species can be added in the Integrated Aquaculture system .

Goa is also the second largest consumer of Pork and Pork products in India , after North-east , Punjab comes third .
Piggery is a must component in your planned IFS with duck .

Local resources :
All the fish seedling or Pig parent stock or piglets can be sourced from Govt Fisheries or Animal Husbandry Deptt . In case you are failed then you can outsource from other locations .

Local bio diversity and environment :
Water Hyacinth is an invasive aquatic weed in Bangladesh , so is in India , but some innovative farmers decided build up floating cultivation bed with dry water hyacinth biomass , and using that floating bed as indigenous aquaponics system and cultivating leafy green vegetables round the year .

Some edible water plant species can also be added in the system viz. Water spinach ( Kang Kong) , Water cress , Aquatic Mint ,Lotus , Taro , Water Caltrop , Wasabi , Water Pepper , Water Chestnut , Camas etc.

Sea Weed , Algae , Azolla , Duckweed culture are also must components in well designed and innovative BIFS to enhance the livestock feed nutritions .
Some 10-12 components can be incorporated in advanced Biological Integrated Farming System effectively .