Reviving Ancient Practices: Modern Perspectives on Rice-Fish Culture

Rice-fish culture, an ancient agronomic practice, integrates aquaculture with rice farming, a sustainable solution for enhancing food security and agricultural productivity. The recent advancements and historical perspectives on rice-fish culture have increased its ecological, economic, and social impacts. The practice, which spans over 2,000 years, has seen significant technological improvements, especially in regions like China, Thailand, and Bangladesh [1]. Implementations of modernized rice-fish systems demonstrate increased rice yields, reduced pest and weed prevalence, improvements on soil quality, and higher profits for farmers [2]. For example, in China it was reported that a rice-fishing system produced 6 000-7 000 kg or rice and 1 500-7 500 kg of fish per hectare per year [3]. Furthermore, the fish reduce herbivore insect abundance, as well as reduced weed abundance, effectively eliminating the need for pesticides [2].

Despite its advantages, challenges such as water management, the availability of quality fish seed, and socio-economic barriers remain [2]. By synthesizing findings from various studies, we will highlight the potential of rice-fish culture to contribute to sustainable agriculture and rural development, recommending strategies for optimizing its adoption and addressing existing constraints.

[1] Lu, J., & Li, X. (2006). Review of rice–fish-farming systems in China — One of the Globally Important Ingenious Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). Aquaculture, 260, 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AQUACULTURE.2006.05.059.

[2] Tsuruta, T., Yamaguchi, M., Abe, S., & Iguchi, K. (2010). Effect of fish in rice-fish culture on the rice yield. Fisheries Science, 77, 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-010-0299-2.

[3] Yi, Y., & Wu Z. (2020). Rice-fish culture in China. CABI Compedium, https://doi.org/10.1079/ac.66147.20203483342.