Effects of water spinach Ipomoea aquatica cultivation on water quality and performance of Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis pond culture

Abstract

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis is a highly valued freshwater species cultured in China. A 122 d experiment was conducted to assess the effects of water spinach Ipomoea aquatica cultivation in floating beds on water quality, and growth performance and economic return of P. sinensis cultured in ponds. Two treatments, each in triplicate, with and without I. aquatica cultivation were designed. Results showed that the levels of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (chl a) and turbidity in treatments with I. aquatica cultivation (IAC) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those in treatments without I. aquatica (control). Mean TN and TP concentrations in the IAC treatment were 27.9 and 42.5%, respectively, lower than in the control treatment at the end of the experiment. The presence of I. aquatica also has a positive effect on the performance of P. sinensis. Although no significant difference was found in specific growth rate (SGR) between the 2 treatments, mean survival rates, production and net income were significantly higher in the IAC treatment compared to the control (p < 0.05). These results suggest that I. aquatica cultivation in the pond system of turtles has a synergistic effect on overall economic return and is effective at improving turtle growth performance and water quality.

Water quality, nutrient budgets and growth performance in yellow catfish ( Pelteobagrus fulvidraco Richardson) and lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) co‐culture systems

“…and water spinach ( Ipomoea aquatica Forsk), have been reported to be efficient at removing nutrients from eutrophic water (Tripathi & Upadhyay, ; Zhang et al, ). The reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus compositions in the present study were likely the result of nutrient accumulation in plant tissues and periphyton growth on plant roots and stems (Li et al, ; Wu, Xia, Yu, Shabbir, & Kerr, ).…”

“…Water quality management is considered essential for ensuring high production and quality in aquaculture systems (Li et al, ; Love et al, ; Mohanty, Ambast, Panigrahi, Thakur, & Mandal, ) and for water conservation (Mohanty, Ambast, Panigrahi, & Mandal, ; Zhang, Achal, Xu, & Xiang, ). The use of aquatic macrophytes to remove nutrients from aquaculture effluents has been reported as a promising phytoremediation method (Li et al, ).…”

“…In addition, Portillo‐Clark et al () reported better growth parameters of shrimp when they were co‐cultured with green feather alga ( Caulerpa sertularioides Gmelin Howe) than when they were cultured alone. Variation in the interactions between co‐cultured aquatic animals and plants may be responsible for these different observations (Li et al, ). Lost feed and released faeces can enrich the nutrient contents of plants (Li et al, ; Ma et al, ), where plants can improve the living conditions of animals and offer periphyton as a food source (Portillo‐Clark et al, ).…”

“…Variation in the interactions between co‐cultured aquatic animals and plants may be responsible for these different observations (Li et al, ). Lost feed and released faeces can enrich the nutrient contents of plants (Li et al, ; Ma et al, ), where plants can improve the living conditions of animals and offer periphyton as a food source (Portillo‐Clark et al, ).…”

The structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the overlying water of the Yangzong Lake in Yunnan

“…It plays a role in promoting the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in water environments, improving water quality. HgcI_clade is considered one of the persistent microorganisms in global oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems, characterized by its high and stable abundance (Huang et al, 2020; Li et al, 2016). Previous studies have shown that HgcI_clade is a dominant bacterial group in water environments of rice paddies under different fertilization modes and fish-vegetable co-culture systems (Newton et al, 2011; Ruprecht et al, 2021), which is consistent with the results of this study.…”