Fert iliz at ion in Aquacult ure

Ponds
 Int r oduct ion
• Primary production of aquaculture ponds can be augmented( enlarge)
by increasing the availability of plant nutrients through fertilizer
applications.
• Greater primary productivity leads to a higher abundance of natural
food organisms.

• The primary producers of most ponds are microscopic, plantonic

algae
• Plant require mineral nutrients for growth, and nitrogen and
Phosphorus usually are the two nutrients present in the smallest
quanties relative to plant requirement.
• Substances that increase nutrient concentrations to enhance plant
growth are called fertilizers or manures.

• the term manure usually is reserved for animal excreta and

agricultural by-products.
 Chemical fert iliz ers
• Primary Nutrients

1. Phosphorus: The most common phosphate compounds are ammonium

phosphate, diammonium phosphate, potassium phosphate,
dipotassium phosphate and phosphoric acid.

2. Nitrogen: ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, urea(45%N).

3. Potassium: Potash is used for preparation of potassium sulfate and

potassium nitrate
 Chemical fert iliz ers
• Secondary Nutrients

1. Calcium: Gypsum and liming material are source of Calcium.

2. Magnesium: Dolomite another liming material is source of Ca and Mg.

3. Sulfur: Elemental sulfur, mangnesium sulfate, potassium sulfate, super

phosphate are source of sulfur
 Form of fert iliz ers
• Solid fertilizers:

• Liquid fertilizers

• Instantly soluble fertilizers

• Controlled release fertilizer

 Solid fert iliz ers
1. Most familiar form of fertilizer, is dry, solid consisting of irregular
shaped granules or spherical particles known as prills.

2. They must be stored in dry place to avoid to form cake in presence

of moisture.

3. Fertilizer must be water soluble if nutrients contained in them are to

be available for plants.

4. Solid fertilizers often are broadcast over pond surfaces in area is not
more than 2m deep. (Broadcast fertilizer application refers to a.
uniform distribution of material on the soil surface. When applied after
planting, a broadcast application is often referred to as a
topdress application).
5.This type of fertilizer doesnot dissolve quickly and stand in water for
3 to4 hrs. before settling.
 Liquid fert iliz ers
• the most common liquid fertilizer for agriculture are solutions of
ammonia and urea.

• Two liquid fertilizers, phosphoric acid and ammonium polyphosphate

are considerable use in aquaculture.

• this fertilizers should be stored in mild steel containers.

• Liquid fertilizers are denser then water, if they are poured directly into
the water, they will flow to pond bottom as a density current.
 Inst ant ly Soluble Fert iliz ers
• They are prepared by finely pulverising solid fertilizers, thus resulting
powder will dissolve almost instantly in water.

• This fertilizers dissolves easily and quickly

 Cont rolled-Release Fert iliz ers
• In this method fertilizer prills can be coated for slow, gradual
release.

• The technology for producing controlled-release fertilizers involves

coating a soluble fertilizer prill (core) with a copolymer shell of
dicyclopentadine and a glycerol ester (linseed oil).

• The copolymer is applied in multiple layers and the shell thickness

governs the nutrient release rate.

• Nutrient release rates depends upon temp.

 Bulk blended fertilizer
• Fertilizers with specific grades are made by mixing appropriate
quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
compounds.
• If all three primary nutrients are included, then this bulk blended
fertilizer is said to be complete fertilizer.

• A filler is added to make up the diff in weight.

• The filler is usually agricultural limestone

• This material is used because it will neutralise

acidity.
 Manures
A wide variety of organic materials have been used as pond
manures.
Livestock dung, leaves, grass, weeds; wastes from distilleries
(alcoholic liquors or spirits production plant), tanneries, dairies and
sugar refineries; cotton seed, peanut oilcake and sunflower oilcake
soyanbean and rice wastes
cottonseed meal
dry hay
many other agricultural wastes and by-products can be equally useful.
• The type of organic material obviously affects the nutrient composition of
a manure.

• different batches of a particular kind of manure may also vary

considerably in moisture and nutrient content.

• Animal dung will differ in composition, depending on the species of

livestock, type of feed given to livestock, age of the dung and exposure of
dung to the weather.

• Concentrations of fertilizer constituent in selected manures are much

more lower then those of chemical fertilizers.

• Wastes from vegetable and fruit harvesting and processing usually are
high in moisture and low in fertilizer value.
Meals are much higher in quality than hay and wastes.
• Because of low fertilizer value, manure application rates are much higher
than those for chemical fertilizers. eg. for 1 kg of DAP(18-46-0 are
• percentage concentrations of N, P2O5 and K2O) contains as much as
nitrogen as 36 kg of dairy cattle manure and for Phosphorus 230 kg.
 The practice of pond
•
fertilization
Nutrient ratios
：
• Amount of nutrients

• Frequency of application

• Method of Application
 Nut rient rat ios
• Lot of studies revealed that phosphorus-only can cause large increases in fish and
shrimp production,but somehow greater results can achieved if nitrogen is also
added to ponds.

• Fertilizer nitrogen requirement is less as compare to phosphorus, exception in case

of diatoms.

• For general fertilization in fresh water ponds N:P Ratio is 1:1.3 to 1:1.7.

• Brackish water ponds need more nitrogen than fresh water ponds so the Ratio is
1:0.87. Potassium and other secondary nutrients have high concentration in
seawater; Hence, fertilizers for brackish water ponds doesnt need this fertilizers.

• A general fertlizer for brackish water ponds is 9-16-0 blended from sodium nitrate,
triple super phosphate, trace nutrient package, and small amount of filler.

• Silicate fertilization may be beneficial to diatom production in B.W ponds, this

fertilizer contains 15% of nitrogen, 3.5% of silicate and variety of trace elements.
 Amounts of nutrients
• Amount of Nitrogen ratio depends upon the P2O5 (Phosporus
pentaoxide).

• the monthly application of the fertilizers varies in different ranges for

e.g. 2 kg of P2O5 in case of liquid fertilizer and upto 25 kg of P2O5 in
case of solid fertilizers.

• In humid climate 2-1o kg/month of P2O5 is sufficent to achieve

phytoplankton bloom and in case of arid climates its 2-3 times more.

• When fertiliztion is used at shorter interval, monthly dose should be

divided into two or more smaller doses.
 Frequency of
•
Application
The ideal frequency of fertilizer application probably varies from
place to place, but 2-4 weeks of interval is adequate.

• the most critical and often most difficult aspect of pond preparation
is initiation of phytoplankton bloom in the spring or at beginning
of a crop.

• Larger or more frequent applications of fertilizers may be needed to

initiate a phytoplankton bloom than to maintain an existing
phtoplankton bloom.
 Method of
application
• Broadcasting

• Platforms and bags

• Liquid fertilizers
 Broadcasting
•
Method
Solid, granular fertilizers often are broadcast over pond surfaces

• Fertilizers do not dissolve completely while settling through the

water, but they finish dissolving while laying on the pond bottom.

• This favours adsorption of phosphate by the soil, and if water

circulation in ponds is not good, nutrients that dissolve into the
bottom water may not enter the illuminated upper layers for use by
phytoplankton.

• Instantly soluble fertilizers can be braodcast over the entire surfaces

of ponds. The particles will dissolve before settling out of the
epilimnon.
 Platforms and
• Bags
This method prevents phosphorus fertilizer from settling to the pond
bottom,apparently decreasing the rate at which phophorus from the
fertilizer is adsorbed by bottom muds.
• This method reduces fertilizer requirements by 20-40%.
• Platforms should be about 30cm underwater and one platform with an
area of about 4m.sq. is adequate for 2-4 ha of pond area.
• Fertilizer is poured onto the platform and water currents distribute
nutrients as they dissolve.
• Platform also are sutaible for exposing controlled release fertilizers to
the water.
• Fertilizers also have been placed in porous bags and suspended in pond
water at different places in the pond.
• The nutrients disslove and seep out of the bags to be mixed by water
currents.
• Plastic bags of fertilizer can be laid on the pondbottom, and upper
surface of the bag cut away to expose the fertilizer to the water.
• Platforms are superior to either of the bag techniques mentioned above,
but their construction requires more effort than the use of bags.
Secchi disc- A pond
fertilization tool
Visibility Comments

< 20 cm Danger of DO problems every night

20-30 cm Plankton becoming too abundant

30-45 cm Ideal

45-60 cm Plankton becoming too scarce

> 60 cm Water too clear, inadequate plankton and danger of

aquatic weed problem
 Problems t o consider when
fertilizing
• Nutrients and Quantities
1.The faliure of the fertilization program may result from inadequate quantity of
fertilizer or from the lack of a fertilizer nutrient.
2.As mention earlier phosporus is the nutrient most commonly limiting
phytoplankton growth.
3.Nitrogen also is limitng in most brackish water and in some fresh water
environments.
4.The likelihood of other nutrients limiting phytoplankton is much less, but any
essential plant nutrient can be alimiting factor.
• Acidic, Low-Alkalnity water
Probably the most common resason in fresh water pond not to produce algal
bloomis low alkalinity water.
• High Calcium Concentration
5.In waters with calcium concentrations of 50mg/l, or more and pH values of 8.0
and above. So hard water should be treated with more amount of phosphate
fertilizer than soft waters.
6.Standard dose is 60/kg/ha of superphosphate or about 11 kg/ha of
Phosphorus pentaoxide at 2-week intervals.
• Turbid water:
if pond water is turbid it will not respond to fertilizers as its visibility will
be less than 20 to 30 cm.

• Macrophytes
1.Weed control must be effected in ponds which are chocked with
macrophytes or fertilizer nutrients will stimulate macrophytes
rather than plankton.
2.Application of fertilizer in late winter and early spring to weed
infested pond will produce filamentous algae whcih grow over and
shade weeds.
3.If pond contains more expanse of shallow waters, fertilization will
not help to control the macrophytes.
4.to discourage the macrophytes, pond egdes should be depened
to 45-60 cm at time of construction.

• Excess Flow
the detention time of water in a pond should exceed 3 or 4weeks,
otherwise fertilizer nutrients will be flushed out of the pond before
they produce fish food.
• Ponds with feeding
1.Fish and crustaceans that are applied pelleted feed usually do not
obtain a larger % of their food from natural resources.
2.Metabolic wastes fertilize ponds and often cause heavy plankton
blooms, but early in the grow-out period when feeding rates are too
low, two to three applications of fertilizer may be needed in some
ponds to increse plankton turbidity and effect underwater weed
control.
3.At other times, the use of fertilizer in fed ponds encourages
excessive plankton blooms and increases the likelihood of oxygen
depletion.
• Winter kill
4.A place with a long, cold winter, indicates that fertilization greatly
incresed plankton abundance and the growth of fish.
5.Unfortunately, organic matter accumulated in ponds as a result of
high rates of primary productivity during warm months, and the
decomposition of this organic matter during the winter when ponds
are covered with ice often result in oxygen depletion or winter kill of
fish.
THANK
YOU