Integrated agri-aquaculture of Lactuca sativa and Cyprinus carpio improve yield and economic benefits of small-scale farmers

Abstract

Aquaculture is an interdisciplinary approach that is based on water-food-energy nexus and involves circular bio-based economy concept. This approach has shown immense potential for reduced resource consumption, anthropogenic discharge mitigation, and recycling of nutrients, energy, and agricultural wastes in meeting the global food demands of ever-increasing population. Thus, in this study, we have analyzed the integration of two farming systems, i.e., lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and gulfam fish (Cyprinus carpio), into an agri-aquaculture and compared them with corresponding non-integrated systems or partially integrated systems. The results showed that both lettuce and gulfam fish supported each other as lettuce provided shade and attracted insects for fish feed and fish nitrogenous wastes were utilized by the lettuce for production of green biomass. Consequently, the fully integrated system showed better biomass production with sustainable resource consumption. The gross revenue, cost variable, and net returns of net cost and benefit flow of lettuce and gulfam fish were found considerably high in fully integrated system compared to partially and non-integrated systems. Overall, the net economic return in fully integrated agri-aquaculture systems (PKR 746.57 ± 61.77) was significantly higher than non-integrated (PKR 4181 ± 4.00) and partially integrated system (PKR 326.66 ± 34.26). In brief, the lettuce-gulfam fish agri-aquaculture system could be adopted as a profitable farming system, especially for resource-constrained small-scale farmers as it requires less expense.