Biodiversity Conservation: Through

Adapting Solar-Powered Rice-Fish

Farming in Rizal Area Near

Laguna De Bay

De Roxas, Aloha1, Cruz, Jam2, De Jesus, Mary Grace

I. Summary

Given the prevalence of biodiversity destruction, The purpose of this

study is to conduct an intervention program that could enhance

generate more profitable and sustainable agriculture, expand eco-

tourism, and healthier fisheries that would benefit the not just the local

communities, local farmers, but also the nation as a whole.

The researcher used qualitative study methodology to further explain

the process of the said intervention with the research inquiries of:

(1) How will the rice-fish system affect the biodiversity and agriculture

of Rizal province and Laguna De Bay? (2)Why is it beneficial to invest in

this project? (3) How does the rice and fish benefit from this project?

The Rice fish system is the program that would suited to conserve and

reserve the country’s biodiversity. In fact, it was one of the one of the

first to be considered as a “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage

System” according to FAO-GEF (Global Environment Facility). It is

based on a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between rice and

fish that is developed when introduced into the same ecosystem.

The finding has shown that the Rice-Fish system is a kind of system

that will reduce the use of artificial pesticides with fish that acts as the
natural control agent of pest organisms. This project was proven to

increase the income of local farmers by planting rice and raising fish on

the water used for irrigation. By this process farmers can enjoy added

revenue through harvesting additional fish. The process is both

beneficial for the rice can provide shelter and shade for fish while fish

reduce pests, diseases, and weeds. (Wikipedia, n.d)

II. Background and problem

In the Philippines, almost 93% of original forest has already lost since 1990. In

fact, marine biodiversity and inland water biodiversity are worsening which is

evident in a huge drop quality of fish in laguna de bay,the Philippine largest lake.

(Ani, 2020). This destructions of country’s resources and increase in the number

of endangered plants has fueled the interest of numerous researchers on the

intervention program that can be implemented to conserve and reserve the

biodiversity.

For over 2,000 years, cultivating rice and fish together has been tradition in the

Philippines (De Vera, 2018). Integrated rice-fish systems give rise to various

benefits, including more profitable and sustainable agriculture, livelihood options

for women and youth, species and ecosystem biodiversity, resource efficiency,

and climate change resilience (Dubois, et. al). A rice-fish system is an integrated

rice field or rice field/pond complex, where fish are grown concurrently or

alternately with rice. Fish may be deliberately stocked (fish culture), or enter

fields naturally from surrounding water ways when flooding occurs (rice field

fisheries), or a bit of both. Fish yields can range widely from of 1.5 to 174

kg/ha/season depending on the type of rice fish system, the species present, and

the management employed.

The aim of this research is to conduct intervention program where the study

delved into the following research question:

1. How will the rice-fish system affect the biodiversity and agriculture of Rizal

province and Laguna De Bay?

 2. Why is it beneficial to invest in this project?

3. How does the rice and fish benefit from this project?

III. Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiary of this project is the local community in the area, local

farmers, and the nation as a whole.

IV. Proposed solution to the problem presented

Laguna de Bay (Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; Tagalog: Lawa ng Bay, [baɪ]),

also known as Laguna Lake, is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is located

southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south

and Rizal to the north. A freshwater lake, it has a surface area of 911–949 km²

(352–366 sq mi), with an average depth of about 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) and an

elevation of about one meter above sea level. The lake is shaped like a crow's

foot, with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore and filling the large

volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the middle of the lake is the large island of Talim

(Wikipedia, n.d). Recent study from United Nations Environment Program shows

the failing marine life of the lake, threats of overfishing, seasonal fish kill, and

declining natural food sources were the present challenge faced by the LGU.

Moreover, if these issues continue to prevail in the following years the lake can

die and will leave a massive economic profit loss for the community. With the

presented problem an intervention must be conducted. The researchers came up

with the idea of adapting an old practice that was used before and proven to be

effective by previous studies. The following statements are answers from the

possible challenge in implementing the project:

 1. This kind of system will reduce the use of artificial pesticides with fish that

acts as the natural control agent of pest organisms.

2. This project was proven to increase the income of local farmers by

planting rice and raising fish on the water used for irrigation. By this

process farmers can enjoy added revenue through harvesting additional

fish.

3. The process is both beneficial for the rice can provide shelter and shade

for fish while fish reduce pests, diseases, and weeds. (Wikipedia, n.d)

In addition this project can also improve the tourism of Rizal because of the

landscape made.
V. Methods/Details of the proposed solution including the cost-analysis

as applicable

In this stage the researchers adopted the methods of Catalino Dela Cruz, Ruben

C. Sevilleja, and Jose Torres from the study ‘Rice-fish system in Guimba, Nueva

Ecija, Philippines

Rice-fish field design and construction

1. Site selection

Abundant and dependable water supply. Irrigation water, ground water, spring
and other water sources are used when they are not contaminated by pesticides.
Clay soil is best. Clay holds water, prevents seepage and leaching of fertilizers.
Choose site with good drainage and that is free from flooding.
2. Design and size of field

Independent filling and draining of each rice-fish compartment is considered.

Ease of fish movement into the ricefields during grazing and draining is also
considered. The fish should be able to get quickly into the canals or refuge when
water level is very low.
Size of rice-fish plot considers the natural partitions of the field. Small plots are
easy to manage, and fish survival is usually high.
Dikes are made strong and big enough to withstand the pressure of water level
in the flooded ricefield.

3. Fish refuge

Pond refuge, which holds more water and is less risky, is preferred over trench
refuge. Refuge size is usually 10 percent of the ricefield area. Bigger refuge or a
pond adjacent to the ricefield may also be connected to it through a canal.

To construct the refuge, the pond is excavated at one end, or two ends if the
field is large, inside the ricefield or adjacent/alongside but connected to the field
so that the fish can have access to the area planted to rice.

4. Inlet and outlet gates and screens

These are made of bamboo and other low-cost materials. Screens prevent the
escape of stocked fish or entry of unwanted fish into the field.

Examples of fish refuge layout for small and large plots

Rice agronomy
1. Rice varieties - high-yielding varieties; maturity period of 120-130 days;
resistant to insects and diseases.
2. Seedbed preparation and seeding rate

Size

400-500 m2

Rate

100-150 kg/ha

Fertilization

Broadcast urea at 25 Kg/ha 10-15 days after sowing

3. Land preparation - After ploughing once and harrowing thrice, the field is
leveled evenly so that every part of it will be uniformly irrigated.

4. Rice transplanting method

Age of seedlings : 25-30 days

Planting distance :
20-25 cm between rows
15-20 cm between hills

Straight-row planting (optional), if mechanical weeding is done.

5. Weed control - Fish stocked in ricefields control certain weeds. Weeds are also
controlled through:

 thorough land preparation;

 flooding the field at an effective water depth for 1-2 weeks immediately
after transplanting; and
 manual weeding.

6. Water management - Water depth in the field when rice is newly transplanted
is 3-5 cm. This is then gradually increased up to 20 cm to provide better living
space for both rice and fish as they grow bigger. One week before the rice
harvest, water is slowly drained so that fishes have enough time to move into
the refuge.

7. Fertilizer application - The amount of fertilizer applied follows the

recommended rate in the area. In Guimba, the rate applied during wet season is
200 kg/ha of ammonium phosphate and 50 kg/ha of urea for the first or basal
application. The basal application is done immediately after the final leveling,
which is followed by transplanting. The rate for the second application or top-
dressing is 50 kg/ha. This is applied 30 days after transplanting. The amount for
top-dressing may be split into two equal applications. In this case, a third
application is applied 75 days after transplanting.

During dry season, the same amount for basal application is followed. For top-
dressing, the rate is 100 kg/ha. As an example, the amount of fertilizer for a 400
m2 of rice-fish during wet season is 8 kg of ammonium phosphate and 2 kg of
urea for basal application. For top-dressing, 2 kg of urea are needed.
8. Insect control - The use of insecticide is not recommended. Farmers, however,
apply insecticides known to be less toxic to fish.

9. Solar-powered irrigation system

Fish culture

The species cultured are Nile tilapia (Oreochromis

niloticus) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Stage 2: Extending fish culture period after rice harvest

for up to 2 months (harvest size: 50 g)

Stocking density

 Stocking can be done before or during land preparation in the pond

refuge; or 7-10 days after transplanting (DAT), if fish are released
directly to the fields. If stocked in the pond refuge, animal manure
should be applied into the refuge 4-5 days before fish stocking. About 15
kg may be applied in a 100 m² pond refuge.
 The stocking rate for Stage 1, using either monoculture of Nile tilapla or
polyculture of Nile tilapia and common carp is 5 000-7 500 fish/ha. For
polyculture, the stocking ratio of Nile tilapia to common carp is 1:1 or
2:2, depending on which species is more important to farmers.
 Ten days after transplanting, fish stocked in the pond refuge may be
released to the field by making openings in the dividing dike. Fish will
graze on natural food available in the ricefield.

Activity calendar for rice-fish culture

The species cultured are Nile tilapia (Oreochromis
niloticus) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Stage 2: Extending fish culture period after rice harvest

for up to 2 months (harvest size: 50 g)

Stocking density

 Stocking can be done before or during land preparation in the pond

refuge; or 7-10 days after transplanting (DAT), if fish are released
directly to the fields. If stocked in the pond refuge, animal manure
should be applied into the refuge 4-5 days before fish stocking. About 15
kg may be applied in a 100 m² pond refuge.
 The stocking rate for Stage 1, using either monoculture of Nile tilapla or
polyculture of Nile tilapia and common carp is 5 000-7 500 fish/ha. For
polyculture, the stocking ratio of Nile tilapia to common carp is 1:1 or
2:2, depending on which species is more important to farmers.
 Ten days after transplanting, fish stocked in the pond refuge may be
released to the field by making openings in the dividing dike. Fish will
graze on natural food available in the ricefield.

Figure 1.

Supplemental feeding
This feeding is recommended at the middle culture period of rice (45-50 DAT),

during which production of natural food in the fieldwater declines due to shading

of rice leaves.

Feeds: rice bran, kitchen refuse, ipil-ipil meal, etc. Animal manure may also be

applied in the pond refuge.

Feeding rate: 3-5 percent of fish biomass

Harvesting

Harvest fish by draining the water very slowly 1 week before rice harvest to

avoid trapping the fish in the middle of the field.

Select large fish for consumption or disposal and confine the small fish (50 g) for

stage 2 culture.

After harvesting rice, the field is immediately reflooded to about 30 cm deep, and

the small fish in the refuge are released to allow them to grow for another 60

days before the dry season crop.

Benefits and limitations of the system

1. Fish can contribute to increased rice yield by 10-15 percent by:

Controlling certain weeds and insects such as stemborer and brown planthopper;

Producing fish wastes, including uneaten feeds which add fertility to the soil;

Increasing availability of nutrient for increased floodwater productivity and

uptake by rice; and

Reducing loss of ammonia through volatilization by preventing floodwater pH to

rise over 8.5. During fertilizer application, increased plankton production tends to

raise the value of pH beyond 8.5, the value at which ionized ammonia converts

into an un-ionized form that is easily lost.

2. The increased size of dikes in the system offers opportunity to plant other

crops, such as taro (Colocasia sp.), stringbeans, cowpea, wingbeans, eggplant

and others.

3. The wide-scale adoption of rice-fish is still constrained by continued

application of pesticide in rice-based farming. The use of pesticide is not

recommended in rice-fish farming. There are ways of controlling rice pests that

do not need pesticide, such as:

Quick submergence (for 3 hours) of rice plants in water. This makes the insects

vulnerable to fish predation. Limitation: suitable while rice plants are shorter

than the dike.

Two persons can drag a stretched rope (50-100 m) across the ricefields to knock

off the insects into the floodwater, after which they can be eaten by the fish.

Limitation: suitable before rice plants reach panicle initiation stage.

However, should a farmer insist on using pesticide, here are ways to apply it:

- Choose and apply pesticides that have low toxicity to fish properly.

- Minimize the amount of pesticide getting mixed with water.

- Apply at suitable time.

Preventing fish poisoning:

- Drive the fish into the refuge by draining the field before spraying. Keep the fish

in the sump until toxicity in the sprayed field is gone.

- Increase water depth (+10 cm) to dilute the concentration of pesticide in the

water.
- Flush water through the ricefield. Open the inlet and outlet of the field and

allow irrigation water to flow freely, during spraying. Begin spraying from the

outlet end of the field. When one-half of the field is already sprayed, stop for a

while and allow the pesticides to flow out of the field. Then, continue spraying

towards the inlet end of the field until it is finished.

To do the last two items above in applying pesticides, here are some examples:

apply powder pesticides in the morning when dewdrops are still on the leaves;

and apply liquid pesticides in the afternoon when leaves are dry.

There are a number of less toxic pesticides in the market Proper application of a

toxic insecticide like Furadan ® or Curaterr ® can be made safe to fish if applied

through soil incorporation during the final harrowing.

VI. Include illustrations, figures, and charts

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the project in:
Analysis of Data through: Improved role of NGO
a.) Hectare
a.) Cost analysis and possible investors.
b.) Area
b.) Previous study Additional revenue for
Roles of government
and articles farmers.
and investors in the
Conserving and
project.
promoting ecotourism.

Figure 2. Conceptual paradigm of the study showing the processes of

intervention.
VII. References

(1)International Rice Research Institute, n.d

(2)De Vera, (2018) Journal of the Natural Allied Science; Rice Fish Farm

Pangasinan, Philippines; A Farm Land Use Optimization Experiece

(3)Dubois et.al n.d; Integrated Rice and Fish Systems

(4)Wikipedia n.d; Laguna de bay, Rice-Fish system

(5)Edu Garcia Macabatas 2020, Low-cost, more yield: rice-fish farming better

for the field.