Effects of stocking density, feeding, fertilization and combined fertilization-feeding on the performances of striped grey mullet (Mugil cephalus L.) fingerlings in brackishwater pond rearing systems

• Published in: Aquaculture 2012-03, Vol.338-341, p.284-292
• Main Authors: Biswas, G., De, Debasis, Thirunavukkarasu, A.R., Natarajan, M., Sundaray, J.K., Kailasam, M., Kumar, Prem, Ghoshal, T.K., Ponniah, A.G., Sarkar, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquaculture; biomass production; body composition; body weight; brackish water; Brackishwater pond; cattle manure; crude protein; feed conversion; feed formulation; Feeding; feeds; Fertilization; fingerlings; Fish; Fish stocking; harvesting; management systems; Mugil cephalus; phosphates; Ponds; Proteins; rearing; Seed rearing; seeds; Stocking density; stocking rate; Striped grey mullet; urea
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2012.02.004

Growth, survival, biomass production and body composition of striped grey mullet (Mugil cephalus L.) fingerlings were evaluated in two pond experimental trials as a function of two stocking densities and three management systems in brackishwater pond rearing. The three management systems tested were feeding, fertilization and combined fertilization-feeding. The Experiment 1 had a 2×2 factorial design with two levels of stocking density and two types of pond management system (feeding and fertilization) resulting in four treatments in triplicates: stocking density 1+feeding (S1F1), stocking density 1+fertilization (S1F2), stocking density 2+feeding (S2F1) and stocking density 2+fertilization (S2F2). Twelve ponds (600m2 each) were stocked with grey mullet fry (0.17±0.02g/23.8±0.6mm) at 7500numberha−1 in treatments S1F1, and S1F2 and at 15,000numberha−1 in treatments S2F1, and S2F2. In Experiment 2, three different pond management systems evaluated as three treatments (in triplicate ponds) were FR: fingerling rearing with fertilization; FD: fingerling rearing with feeding and FF: fingerling rearing with combination of fertilization+feeding. Nine ponds (600m2 each) under the three treatments were stocked with grey mullet fry (0.55±0.08g/36.0±2.1mm) at 15,000numberha−1. In S1F1, S2F1, FD and FF, formulated feed containing 27.5% crude protein was provided at 3.5–20% body weight daily, whereas, in S1F2, S2F2, FR and FF systems, ponds were fertilized fortnightly with cattle manure, urea and single super phosphate at 500, 30 and 30kgha−1, respectively. In Experiment 1, although stocking density and application of feed or fertilization did not affect the growth parameters, survival and apparent feed conversion ratio (P>0.05) of grey mullet, coefficient of variation at harvest weight (CVhw) and total harvested biomass were influenced by feeding or fertilization (P