AGRICULTURAL INOCULANTS CORPORATION

“MICROBES AT WORK”

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CULTURAL PRACTICE FOR PHYTOPLANKTON & BLUE-

GREEN ALGAE (LABLAB) PRODUCTION FOR FISH &
SHRIMP PONDS

A. Soil Preparation

1. After harvesting and before the next seeding the pond is completely
drained and the soil bottom is allowed to dry until it can be harrowed to
break the sod.

2. Treat the soil by applying (spraying) the recommended crop protection

chemical (e.g. insecticide) to eliminate unwanted organisms. Use a
biodegradable (green label) insecticide and one that has low toxicity.

3. Harrow the topsoil to break-up the sod and and allow release of any toxic
substance/s, one or two days after application of the insecticide.

4. Broadcast evenly the organic fertilizer, at the rate of 12 to 14 bags (600-

700 kg) per hectare depending on soil type. Apply less for clayey soils and
more for light or loamy soils.

B. Care and Management

1. If it is the initial seeding it is advisable to secure phytoplankton to be used

as starter or seeds and broadcast into the pond evenly. Also broadcast
about 50 bags (2.5 tons) of dried chicken manure per hectare to improve
the organic matter content of the soil.

2. Introduce water into the pond and maintain the depth at 10 to 15 cm to

encourage the growth of the phytoplankton and blue-green algae (lab-lab).
Increase water depth in the pond to at least one meter as the growth
becomes established.

3. When the growth of blue-green algae and phytoplankton (lab-lab) become

prominent, seeding of the tilapia fish fingerlings is made by releasing them
carefully into the pond. Seed the fishpond at the rate of 10 to 15
 AGRICULTURAL INOCULANTS CORPORATION
“MICROBES AT WORK”

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fingerlings per cubic meter or a total of 150,000 to 200,000 fingerlings per

hectare.

4. As the growth of phytoplankton and blue-green algae (lab-lab) become

profuse or dominant increase the depth of water to about 150 cm. The
water depth may fluctuate between 1.5 to 2.0 meters depending on the heat
of the sun during the entire growing period.

5. During the growing period apply foliar fertilizer once a month at the rate of
1.5 to 2.0 liters per hectare per application. This will further enhance the
growth of phytoplankton and blue-green algae (lab-lab). The foliar
fertilizer can be applied by first diluting the concentrate with water using
the dilution of 1 liter of the foliar fertilizer to 100 liters of water and then
broadcast the solution evenly on the pond surface.

Important: This method is meant only for fertilizing phytoplankton and blue-
green algae (lab-lab) as a natural food for the fish and shrimp. However, it
must not be construed to totally replace complete feeding. Supplemental
feeding by the use of recommended feeds is still advisable in order to hasten
the growth of the fish and/or shrimp hence, shorten the growing period for it to
reach marketable size.