Chicken manure, rice hulls, and sugar-mill wastes as potential organic fertilizers in shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius) ponds

Abstract

Shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius) were cultured (3000 juveniles/ha) in 50-m² earthen ponds fertilized with composted agricultural and industrial wastes at a basal application rate of 2 ton/ha. The following materials were tested: chicken manure, rice hulls, and three types of sugar-mill wastes: mudpress, boiler ash, and bagasse.

After 66 days significant differences existed among treatments (P < 0.05) in mean body weight and gross production of shrimp. A significantly higher mean body weight (28.8 g) was obtained with boiler ash than with chicken manure (26.05 g) and these were followed by mudpress (25.8 g) and rice hulls (25.05 g) which were not significantly different from each other. The mean body weight using bagasse (22.0 g) was significantly lower than in the other treatments followed by the control (no fertilizer, 19.6 g). High survival rates were obtained in all treatments. The pond yields ranged from 53.7 to 86.4 kg/ha after 66 days with daily weight increments of the shrimp ranging from 0.18 to 0.41 g.