Full Analysis of the Key Technical Points for Lotus-Rice-Fish Integrated Farming

"Lotus-rice-fish" integrated farming refers to a co-culture model in which both rice is planted and @#@233@#@ during the growing period of lotus root. The relevant integrated farming techniques are briefly introduced below.

1. Reasonable site selection. Choose gray mud fields with sufficient water sources, strong water retention capacity, and medium or above fertility. Fields with water-quality concerns, cold-waterlogged fields, and perennial lotus fields are not suitable for selection.

2. Select improved varieties. For lotus seeds, choose excellent varieties with large grains, a long flowering period, and high yield; for rice, it is advisable to choose early-maturing or early-to-medium-maturing varieties, such as Minke Zao No. 8, Zhefu 218, etc.; for fish, mainly stock common carp.

3. Before planting lotus, first dig fish pits and fish ditches. ① It is best to dig the fish pit beside the field ridge near the water inlet, or it can be set in the center of the lotus field. Round, oval, or rectangular fish pits are all acceptable, with an area accounting for about 3% of the lotus field area and a water depth of more than 1 m. ② Dig fish ditches along the field ridge, 0.6 m deep and 1 m wide, with an area accounting for about 3%-4% of the lotus field, ensuring that ditches and pits are connected.

4. Control the amount of lotus root and plant appropriately sparsely. Plant 200-220 lotus root pieces per mu, with a spacing of 3.5 m x 4.5 m, 3-4 pieces per hole, and arrange the bud heads in an east-west or north-south direction.

5. Control the area for interplanting rice. Sow rice from March 20 to 23, and transplant seedlings in mid-April. Sow sparsely in the seedling field to cultivate strong seedlings with tillers. The rice spacing is 13.3 cm x 16.7 cm. Interplant 7 rows of rice in the wide rows in the middle of the lotus field, and interplant 5 rows around the field ridge. Interplanting too much will affect lotus root yield, while too little will affect rice yield. Generally, the area interplanted with rice accounts for about 1/3 of the lotus field area.

6. Reasonably stock fish species. In order to improve the survival rate of fry, stocking is required before March 20. Usually, stock 150 common carp (body length 7-14 cm) and 50 tilapia (body length 7-10 cm) per mu. Summer fry of the current year can also be raised in lotus fields, and the stocking period can be appropriately later, stocking 200 summer fry of grass carp and 200 summer fry of common carp per mu.

7. Precautions. ① Keep a shallow water layer in the early stage of rice transplanting, and gradually deepen the water layer of the lotus field as the plants grow taller. ② When the main bud lotus runner of the lotus root grows to 9 leaves, remove the mother lotus root to prevent the mother lotus root from rotting and affecting the normal growth of the lotus runner. ③ Immediately fertilize after harvesting the early rice, applying 40-50 kg of special fertilizer for lotus root per mu, or 40-50 kg of three-element compound fertilizer, and plow to remove the rice stubble, irrigate and maintain for 4-5 days, then stop watering, and then irrigate with 40-50 cm deep flowing water to ensure high lotus root yield. ④ Set up fences and net bags at gaps in the field to prevent fish from escaping.