Assessment of the beneficial effect of using fresh Azolla filiculoides in the productivity of the integrated rice-fish system at Bonoufla, Cote divoire

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Azolla filiculoides on the growth parameters of rice Wita 9 and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in integrated rice-fish culture. Fingerlings (6.11 ± 0.19 g; 12 fingerlings/m²) were placed in the ponds transplanted with 14-day-old rice seedlings. These seedlings were transplanted two by two in clusters with a spacing of 20 cm between them and 25 cm between rows. Two treatments of fresh A. filiculoides and rice bran were applied in these ponds to compare the changes in fish zootechnical and rice agronomic parameters with a control after 3 months of production. The data collected showed that the best rice seedling growth and fish performance were obtained with the addition of A. filiculoides. Yields were also higher with the same treatment (6.97 ± 0.08 T/ha for rice and 166.13 ± 26.94 Kg/ha for fish) compared to the control and rice bran treatments. The use of Azolla fern could thus constitute an alternative of choice in front of the costs of the conventional inputs used in fish farming and rice farming in Côte d'Ivoire.