20 Heads Available! Reserve Your Native Piglets Now!! Philippines

Azolla (Azolla filiculoides) is a small, free-floating water plant. Goldfish enjoy eating azolla almost as much as they do duckweed. Azolla has fern-frond-shaped leaves, small roots and produces fall-like colors in shades of orange, red, gold, purplish and green. This coloring makes it an unexpected treat to the eye. Azolla is hardy in zones 7 to 11.

A CHEAP  NATURAL FEED IN TILAPIA,  can now replace at most half of the commercial feeds for tilapia production, according to results of a study conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Cagayan province.

In an experiment conducted at the BFAR experimental farm in Iguig, Cagayan, regional researchers led by Cagayan Valley Regional Director Dr. Jovita Ayson found that small floating plants in fishponds, called azolla or duckweeds, can effectively substitute for half of the commercial feeds for tilapia production. Thus, the use of this floating plant can greatly reduce the cost of feeds and give tilapia raisers a savings of 50% on feed cost.

All that fishpond operators need is to allocate a portion of their ponds for azolla production.

 Azolla contains 40%-45% protein, according to Dr. Ayson. Fresh azolla can replace half of the commercial feeds. Since it is used in its fresh state, there is no added cost of production, except for the cost of collection.

The BFAR researchers reported that a 50-50 combination of fresh azolla and commercial feeds recorded a higher tilapia growth rate than pure commercial feeds.

 

PARAAN: 

Kelangan magpagawa ka ng enclosed na concrete na lagayan ng azolla (kahit 2 or 3 patong na concrete blocks ang taas, may continous running fresh water (inflow/outflow) at may sunlight ang lugar.  Dapat ang outflow ng tubig ay mapakinabangan ng mga tanim na halaman para walang nasasayang na tubig.

Kakapal ng kakapal ang original na azolla na ilalagay mo sa ponds.  Pag sobra sobra na ang azolla mo ay saka ka lang magplano ipakain ang iba sa mga tilapia.  Remember also na gustong gusto din ng mga manok at baboy ang azolla.

 

WHAT  IS DUCKWEED???

WHY DUCKWEED?

click me here!!!! for information on Duckweed!! http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/documents/DW/Dw2.htm

Duckweed (Lemna minor) is a perennial water cover that goldfish and koi find irresistible. This quick spreading plant will double in size on a daily basis, if given proper growing conditions. Remember to keep a sufficient amount in a sunny, fish-free area to ensure a constant supply. A sufficient amount is several cups of the plant. Duckweed is hardy in zones 6 to 10.

Duckweed as a source of nutrients for domestic animals

PRELIMINARY

Although farmers, particularly in South East Asia and probably elsewhere had developed the use of duckweeds as a source of nutrients for livestock, the actual controlled experimentation that has been typically used to develop such commercial crops as soyabeans or maize for livestock feed has not been undertaken. There are, however, a number of reports in the literature on the use of duckweeds as feed supplements for fish and livestock. These report research with domestic animals in which normal feed protein sources have been replaced by duckweed meal on an isonitrogenous bases in complete diets based on compounded concentrate diets.

Duckweeds are highly variable in their composition. They grow slowly on low nutrient waters and are high in fibre, ash and carbohydrates but contain low crude protein. In contrast when grown on waters high in ammonia and minerals they grow rapidly and have a high protein content associated with a high ash and are often lower in fibre. Because duckweeds respond quickly to the availability of nutrients they often have highly variable levels of some nutrients which makes it difficult to prescribe the amounts needed for livestock and fish over a period of, say, one year. Careful interpretation of some studies reported is required when the quality of duckweed given in diets to livestock is not consistent throughout the study. In terms of domestic animal/fish nutrition, duckweeds may be used in many ways. These include:

• • As a total feed
  • As a supplemental source of:

• • protein
  • phosphorous and other major minerals
  • trace minerals
  • colouring pigment for egg yolk/flesh of chickens
  • vitamin A and the B group
  • fibre in low fibre diets for pigs and poultry

Duckweeds have been largely researched as a total feed for fish, including carp and tilapia production, as a protein supplement for pigs and poultry (including ducks) and as fermentable N and mineral supplement for ruminants.

The research on duckweeds as a feed are summarised below. The uncertainty of the conclusions and the difficulty in making clear recommendations largely pertains to the fact the quality of the duckweed used by various researchers (i.e. its nutrient densities) were variable. However, as a resource that can be harvested for labour costs alone in natural conditions, it obviously represents a valuable asset to the resource poor farmer. In many countries it could have a low cost where it is grown on sewage and it has to be disposed of from the works at a subsidised price.

It appears to be a resource that is most conveniently used by the small holder farmer, particularly in an integrated farming system. Unfortunately much of the research has attempted to demonstrate the value of duckweed as a protein source in diets that are most commonly used in industrial production systems. This is particularly true of the research with poultry and yet its major application probably lies in the more difficult situation of increasing animal production on small farms.

FARMING SYSTEMS FOR DUCKWEEDS

Why duckweed?

A number of aquatic plants including duckweeds have great potential for development for various purposes.

Essentially aquatic plants may or will be grown in developing countries where:

• there is an unused area of standing water available that is either free or is relatively inexpensive to purchase, rent or lease.
• fresh water fish/crustacean production is impractical, not practiced or there are other constraints to their production, such as pollution.
• there is a need to clean water of chemicals before reuse or release into the aquatic ecosystem of rivers/deltas or seas.
• there is a market for the product or the product can be integrated into a system of production enhancing the economic viability of the farm either being used as mulch, fertiliser, feed/food and perhaps even fuel.
• there is a levy on industries in disposing of water contaminated with chemicals.
• legislation is enacted in order to clean up vast areas of ponds or wet lands that have become unusable for, in particular, fish production.
• duckweed mats on standing water reduce the health hazards from clean or polluted water bodies