Intensification techniques in the extensive culture of Penaeus monodon

Abstract

Traditional shrimp (Penaeus monodon) farming is characterized by low yields, 100-300 kg/ha/yr. To provide farmers with appropriate technology that can immediately improve pond yield with minimal investment, experiments were conducted in brackishwater earthen ponds in two phases. The first phase was to evaluate the optimum stocking density without transfer of stock during the culture period up to harvest time. In the second phase, the best stocking density in the first phase was selected to determine the effect of transfer to newly-prepared ponds at 45-day and 60-day intervals. In the first phase, the ponds were stocked with hatchery-bred fry at the stocking rates of 1, 2 and 4/m² with no supplementary feeding for the first two months of culture. Feed was introduced after the second month at 6% body weight for the third month and at 4% body weight on the fourth. The yields after four months were 171 kg., 317 kg and 382 kg/ha/crop with survival rates of 85%, 83% and 74%, respectively. The stocking density of 2/m² was selected for the second phase experiment. The yield was 422 kg, 525 kg and 372 kg/ha/crop at 45 days and 60 days transfer and nontransferred, respectively.