The Role of a Fish Pond in Optimizing Nutrient Flows in Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Farming Systems

The role of a fish pond in optimizing nutrient flows in integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming systems Dang Kieu Nhan Promotor: Prof. Dr. J.A.J. Verreth Hoogleraar Aquacultuur en Visserij Wageningen Universiteit Co-promotor: Dr. M.C.J. Verdegem Universitair Docent, Leerstoelgroep Aquacultuur en Visserij Wageningen Universiteit Promotiecommissie: Prof. Dr. Ir. A.J. van der Zijpp Wageningen Universiteit Dr. M. Ana Milstein Fish and Aquaculture Research Station, Israel Prof. Dr. R. Ruben Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan Can Tho University, Vietnam Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd binnen de onderzoeksschool Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences (WIAS) The role of a fish pond in optimizing nutrient flows in integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming systems Dang Kieu Nhan Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor op gezag van de rector magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit, Prof. dr. M.J.Kropff, in het openbaar te verdedigen op woensdag 3 oktober 2007 des namiddags te vier uur in de Aula Nhan, D.K., 2007. The role of a fish pond in optimizing nutrient flows in integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming systems. PhD Thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands ISBN: 978-90-8504-739-1 Contents Chapter 1 General introduction 1 Chapter 2 Integrated freshwater aquaculture, crop and livestock production in 9 the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: determinants and the role of the pond Chapter 3 Food inputs, water quality and nutrient accumulation in integrated 37 pond systems: a multivariate approach Chapter 4 Water and nutrient budgets of ponds in integrated agriculture- 67 aquaculture systems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam Chapter 5 Economic and nutrient discharge tradeoffs of excreta-fed 93 aquaculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam Chapter 6 General discussion 121 References 133 Summary (English) 145 Summary (Dutch) 149 Summary (Vietnamese) 153 Acknowledgements 157 Training and Supervision Plan 159 Curriculum vitae 160 List of publications 161 Chapter 1 General introduction Chapter 1 1. Global aquaculture production and food security Due to population growth, food security in developing countries has become increasingly under pressure. The 1996 World Food Summit pledged to halve the number of undernourished to 410 million by 2015. The UN Millennium Development Goals (September 2000) also promised a similar reduction in the number of individuals subsisting on an income < 1 US$ a day. Currently, this group is estimated at 1134 million people, representing 25% of the population in the developing world (Thorpe et al., 2006). The supply of aquatic food contributes significantly to global food security by providing > 15 % of the animal supply. In the world excluding China, human population grew faster than the aquatic food supply, resulting in a decrease in the per capita consumption of 14.6 kg in 1987 to 13.1 kg in 2000 (FAO, 2002). Between 1998 and 2003, the global capture fisheries production fluctuated between 88 - 96 million tonnes year-1, while aquaculture production, excluding seaweeds, increased from 31 to 41 million tonnes (FAO, 2004). It is generally accepted that that the scope for growth in capture fisheries is minimal, hence growth in aquatic food supply will have to be realized through aquaculture (FAO, 2002, 2004). During the past three decades, aquaculture has expanded, diversified and intensified. The Bangkok Declaration and Strategy emphasizes the need for the continuous development of aquaculture towards its full potential, contributing to global and domestic food security, economic growth, trade and improved living standards (NACA and FAO, 2000). Naylor et al. (2000) called for farming low trophic level animals (i.e. herbivores, planktivores and omnivores), for further development of integrated aquaculture systems, and for the promotion of environmentally sound aquaculture as priorities for global aquaculture development. 2. Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture farming system in the Mekong delta 2.1. Definition Integrated agriculture-aquaculture (IAA) farming is considered a sustainable farming model for small-scale farming households (Prein, 2002). IAA-farming is known as diversification of agriculture towards nutrient linkages between aquaculture and other terrestrial 2 General introduction components within a farm (Little and Muir, 1987). In a broad view, IAA-farming means concurrent or sequential linkages between two or more human activity systems (one or more of which is aquaculture), directly on-site, or indirectly through off-site needs and opportunities, or both (Edwards, 1998). The key characteristic of the IAA-farming is the linking of farm components through interconnected flows of nutrients (Prein, 2002). The objective is to increase the whole farm productivity through maximized synergies and minimized antagonisms between components. The nutrient linkages also include the use of off-farm bio-resources originating from another farm or agro-industrial activities (Little and Muir, 1987; Edwards, 1998). Nutrient linkages contribute to farming intensification, efficient use of natural resources, income generation and environmental protection (Lightfoot et al., 1993; Edwards, 1998; Devendra and Thomas, 2002). 2.2. Background and problems IAA-farming has a long history in various highly populated regions in Asia like China and northern Vietnam (Ruddle and Zhong, 1988; Edwards, 1993; Luu, 2001). In Vietnam, IAA- farming is commonly known as “VAC”. This acronym derives from the Vietnamese for orchard (vuon), pond (ao) and livestock pen (chuong). The farming system was expanded as a food security strategy. Recently, recognizing the importance of the aquaculture sector, the Vietnamese government has implemented a Sustainable Aquaculture for Poverty Alleviation (SAPA) Strategy and Implementation Programme as a part of a wider Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction Programme (Luu, 2002). Thus, IAA-farming was promoted as a strategy to improve nutritional standards and income generation of small- scale farming households (Luu et al., 2002; Pekar et al., 2002). In the Mekong delta, southern Vietnam, rice culture is the traditional activity and the principal source of income for farmers. Alternative land use and livelihood options such as aquaculture, fruit production and livestock are minor components in a farm and are limited to meet subsistence needs. However, further improvement of rice farming to further increase farming is also limited, due to heavy use of agro-chemicals and high external capital investments requirements (Sanh et al., 1998; Berg, 2002). As a result, commercial 3 Chapter 1 horticulture has recently expanded rapidly in certain areas but also aquaculture has developed quickly: by 2004 22% of the agricultural space was devoted to aquaculture (Fig. 1 and 2). These changes are strongly supported by the policy of the government. Since 1999, the government has promoted the restructuring and diversification of its agricultural sector, with the goal to reduce the share of rice to the total agricultural output value while increasing the contribution of aquaculture to economic growth. This policy resulted in a growing importance of aquaculture as is reflected in the following figures: in 1999 aquaculture production contributed approximately 29% in 1999 and in 2004 47% to the total fish production in the delta. Between 1999 and 2004, annual aquaculture growth rates were 31% for production and 19% for culture area (GSO, 2003, 2005). The main drivers for this fast growth were shrimp culture in the coastal areas and intensive Pangasius culture inland. By 2004 coastal aquaculture was established in about 90% of the suitable sites (GSO, 2005). The export-oriented intensive Pangasius culture is characterized by high inputs of off-farm feeds and by high sensitivity to global trade (Hao, 2006). This farming system therefore is economically risky and is a domain of resource-rich households (Naylor et al., 2000). At the same time, techniques for integration of aquaculture within agriculture remain under developed. Rice and fruit producing areas remain under-utilized from an aquaculture point of view. Therefore, the integration of aquaculture with rice, fruit and livestock production appears to be a realizable approach for agricultural diversification but then, the potential of aquaculture in these systems need to be further optimized. In the Mekong delta, pond aquaculture is a fairly new activity (Rothuis, 1998; Pekar et al., 2002). In the freshwater region, most farmers have a pond near the homestead. The pond culture has become common since the 1980s due to the decline of wild aquatic resources (Sanh et al., 1998). Many farmers have diversified their existing production into IAA- farming systems, shifting gradually from subsistence- to commercially-oriented. Farmers however consider pond farming a secondary activity to crop or livestock production (Pekar et al., 2002). IAA-farming has been promoted through both mass organizations such as the Vietnam Gardening Association and Government Agricultural Extension Agencies. Efforts focused on aquaculture technology of high-valued aquatic species relying on external feed inputs with the goal to improve productivity and profitability. The key essence of IAA- 4 General introduction farming, nutrient linkages among farm components and the overall benefit of the whole system, has not received much attention. 3.0 2.5 total agricultural land 2.0 WS HYR ha) 6 DS HYR 1.5 traditional rice Area (10 1.0 upland crops 0.5 fruit trees 0.0 aquaculture 1990 1995 1999

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