How to control weeds in rice-shrimp paddies? Practical methods for weed control in the field

Farming crayfish in rice paddies is a production model that organically combines crop farming and aquaculture. It uses the natural environment of the rice paddy, supplemented by a manually created ecosystem, to both grow rice and farm crayfish. So, how do you control weeds in rice-shrimp paddies?

1. How do you control weeds in rice-shrimp paddies?

Rice-shrimp paddies generally do not need weed control. In special cases, a low-toxicity herbicide that has no effect on crayfish should be used, for example applying 80-100 ml of 60% butachlor per mu diluted in 40 jin of water and sprayed on, while adding the herbicide safener Anfake, keeping the water layer at 2-3 cm, and filling in new water 24 hours after application.

2. The benefits of farming crayfish in rice paddies

1. Increased yield and income. Generally, rice paddies used for crayfish farming can increase yield by 10-30% per 667 sq m, and crayfish yield can reach 250 kg-500 kg per 667 sq m.

2. Weed control saves time. The crayfish in the rice paddy can eat the wild weeds and aquatic organisms that consume fertilizer in the field, but they will never eat the rice seedlings. This not only saves the labor of weeding, but can also eliminate mosquitoes and other larvae that harm people and livestock.

3. Preserving and increasing fertilizer. The crayfish moving back and forth continuously in the rice paddy and foraging not only helps loosen the soil, activate the water and aerate it, but can also increase the dissolved oxygen content of the field water. At the same time, through metabolism they excrete large amounts of feces, which has a fertilizing effect.

3. Choosing the rice paddy

For farming crayfish in rice paddies, choose low-lying fields that can only grow one season of middle rice and cannot grow summer grain or rapeseed, with abundant water sources, convenient drainage and irrigation, no impact from drought, waterlogging or floods, fresh and pollution-free water quality, and fertile soil, preferably loam, with good water retention and plenty of sunlight. If intensive feeding is planned, a 2-4 m wide ditch must be dug around the field. For large rice paddies, a "well"-shaped ditch must be dug, with a ditch width of 0.5-0.7 m and a ditch depth of 0.3-0.5 m. For a 1 m deep shrimp ditch, build ridges around it so that the rice paddy can maintain a water depth of 0.3-0.7 m.

Because crayfish are sensitive to pesticides, it is generally not recommended to use pesticides for weed control when farming shrimp in rice paddies; manual removal is best.