November 24, 2009

Indian scientists develop marine farming technology

Scientists from the Mumbai Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE) have developed an innovative technology for commercial farming of marine tiger shrimp and prawn in inland ground saline waters.

The new technology uses the land that has gone waste by becoming saline and is not fit for growing anything.

Tiger prawn cannot survive in inland saline waters due to ionic differences as compared to seawater. But CIFE scientists have successfully grown this prawn in inland water through an innovative and cost effective technology for ionic management.

Trials with seeds brought from Kakinada were conducted last year. The results have shown an average survival rate of 65 percent with an average net production of 661 kg/hectare (ha) in 110 days culture duration. This year, scientists were able to achieve a net shrimp production of 1340 kg/ha with a survival rate of 84 percent in 110 days culture duration during the recent field trials.

These trials have resulted in more or less the same production and survival rates as in the coastal regions. As one crop takes only four months to harvest, farmers can easily take two crops per year and so helping raise their income.

In India, around 6.1 million acres of land is affected by salinity and the problem is rising at an alarming rate especially in north-western states. Saline land is unfit for agriculture.

Owing to high growth rate and meat quality, tiger prawn contributes a large share in the Indian fish export. This meat commodity is in a great demand and can fetch farmers higher rates as compared to chicken, mutton and most of the fishes available in the Indian market.