[Smart Farmers] Rice field farming "Kaleidoscope": It turns out that these aquatic products can be grown in rice fields

In recent years, under the guidance of the Party and the government's spirit of "stabilizing grain production and increasing income, promoting rice production through fisheries, and protecting the environment", rice farming has flourished across the country. Unlike traditional rice-field fish farming, the development of modern fishery technology has provided a new opportunity for the renewal of this traditional industry, allowing it to flourish in terms of farming techniques, varieties, and models.

In terms of varieties, rice fields used to only raise four major carps; now they raise crabs, turtles, loaches, eels, shrimps, and snails... In terms of models, fish farming in rice fields used to be an ancient, traditional fish farming model that people left to nature; now, scientific and technological personnel have integrated and innovated in response to the production needs and characteristics of the new round of comprehensive rice field farming, and demonstrated and promoted a number of typical models and supporting key technologies, such as "rice-crab co-cultivation", "rice-turtle co-cultivation + rotation", "rice-shrimp continuous co-cultivation + co-cultivation", "rice-loach co-cultivation", and "rice-fish co-cultivation". With the support of these new technologies, rice fields can not only maintain a rice yield of more than 1,000 catties per mu, but also increase the income of aquatic products; the average per mu increase in efficiency is 1,236 yuan to 24,728 yuan, with an average increase of more than 50%; the average use of pesticides in rice fields has been reduced by 48.4%, and the average use of fertilizers has been reduced by 62.9%. While reducing production costs, it has also greatly mobilized the enthusiasm of farmers to grow rice, and achieved significant economic, social and ecological benefits.

What aquatic products can be grown in rice fields?

Image provided by Wu Qing

Fish farming in rice fields. The fish species cultivated in rice fields are generally grass carp and carp, and crucian carp, silver carp, bighead carp, dace and other fish are also cultivated. Fish farming in rice fields is mainly based on rice, and fish farming is also considered to achieve the goal of increasing rice production and fish harvest. Researchers believe that fish farming in rice fields should be mainly based on grass carp (50% to 70%), and some carp and Nile tilapia should be added according to local conditions.

The picture is from the Chinese Society of Fisheries

Crab farming in rice fields. Based on the principle of symbiosis between rice and crabs, rice planting and crab farming are combined. The crabs move and forage in the rice fields, which not only plays the role of tillage, weeding, fertilization and oxygenation, but also reduces pests and diseases, provides a good growth environment for rice, and reduces the use of pesticides. The rice fields provide a good living environment for crabs, achieving a bumper harvest of rice and crabs, and providing a new way for farmers to increase production and income.

The picture is from the Chinese Society of Fisheries

Shrimp farming in rice fields. Shrimp constantly move and forage in rice fields, which can help loosen the soil of rice fields and eat weeds and other aquatic organisms that consume fertilizer in the fields. This not only saves labor for weeding and eliminates mosquitoes and flies that harm people and livestock, but also obtains high-quality aquatic protein, increasing production and efficiency.

The picture of crayfish culture in rice fields comes from the information of China Fisheries Society

Raising turtles in rice fields. On the one hand, rice fields can provide a good place for turtles to grow, with a good living environment, a large area for feeding and sunbathing, and rapid growth and development, and a high weight gain rate; on the other hand, turtles can loosen the soil of rice fields and catch pests, thereby greatly reducing production costs and improving economic benefits. Raising turtles in rice fields cannot use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and the rice is organic rice, producing high-quality organic food.

Rice-turtle symbiosis pictures from the Chinese Society of Fisheries

Frog breeding in rice fields. By utilizing the natural symbiotic relationship between rice and frogs, giving full play to the mutual beneficial effect between rice and frogs, organically combining rice planting with frog breeding, the purpose of increasing production and income and protecting the natural ecological environment is achieved. The method of frog breeding in rice fields is simple and the benefits are considerable.

The rice-frog symbiosis picture comes from the Chinese Society of Fisheries

Raising eels in rice fields. This is a production method that combines planting and breeding to make full use of rice fields, and single-season rice fields are preferred. Rice field eels are native to rice fields, where natural feed is relatively abundant, rice is a natural shade, and the water depth just meets the needs of raising eels. Therefore, rice fields are most suitable for the growth of rice eels. The eels dig holes in the fields to live, dredge the soil, and prey on aquatic insects, which is also beneficial to the growth of rice and the reduction of crop diseases and insect pests. Practice has shown that raising eels in rice fields can generally increase rice production by more than 10%.

Raising loaches in rice fields. In some mountainous rural areas with abundant water resources, raising loaches in rice fields is a promising way to get rich. The microorganisms and larvae in the rice fields are the favorite feeds of loaches, and the excrement of loaches can fertilize the fields. Therefore, raising loaches in rice fields can not only promote a good rice harvest, but also promote high loach yields.

In addition to fish farming, raising fish and ducks in rice fields to form a "rice, fish, duck" composite agricultural ecosystem is also a typical model. In Congjiang Dongxiang, Guizhou, the rice-fish-duck composite system uses limited rice field resources to carry out traditional agricultural production of "planting a season of rice, raising a group of fish, and raising a group of ducks". Congjiang's "rice-fish-duck" farming has a long history, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and has a history of more than 1,400 years. With its rich biodiversity, unique agricultural composite production model, and simple traditional ethnic minority culture, the Congjiang Dongxiang rice-fish-duck composite system was successfully selected as a pilot for the protection of the "Global Important Agricultural Heritage System" of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2013, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs included it in the "China Important Agricultural Heritage System" protection pilot. Local scientific and technological personnel actively explored and improved the ancient Congjiang Dongxiang rice-fish-duck model to make it more scientific and reasonable. Its improved model has been vigorously promoted in surrounding counties and cities and has begun to take shape.

So many aquatic products can be raised in rice fields, and the social, ecological and economic benefits are all very good. Didn't you expect it? For each variety, what kind of model and technology to use for breeding, scientific and technological personnel have studied and summarized, and are constantly improving and innovating. One article cannot cover all aspects of this technology. If you want to learn about integrated rice-fish farming, now is a good time. The Guiding Opinions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Integrated Rice-Fish Farming Industry (No. 22 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nongyufa [2022]) clearly pointed out that by 2025, the grain production capacity of regions developing integrated rice-fish farming will be steadily improved, the supply capacity of aquatic products will continue to improve, a number of green and efficient typical models will be integrated and innovated, a number of demonstration parks for integrated rice-fish farming industries will be built and upgraded, a number of new production and operation entities will be cultivated and strengthened, and a number of well-known brands related to integrated rice-fish farming will be promoted and created. By 2035, a high-quality development pattern of standardized integrated rice-fish farming industry, high-quality products, beautiful production areas and prosperous production areas will be achieved.

Author: Liu Yadan (National Chief Science Communication Expert, former Assistant Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of Fisheries, Assistant Secretary-General of the China Rural Professional and Technical Association)

Audit expert: Dai Guoqing (Secretary-General of China Algae Industry Association)

Editor: Wu Yuetong

Proofreader: Zhang Liuyan (internship)