Relative efficiency of vermicompost as direct application manure in pisciculture

Wide variation (>10.28 times) of fish yield (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) was obtained in a trial arranged in concrete cisterns (100 l) receiving compost (T-2), Diammonium phosphate (=DAP) (T-3) and vermi-compost (T-4) as direct application fertilizer and manure in those systems. Significant (P < 0.005) differences were observed in diversity and abundance of plankton in response to manure application among treatments. Highest phyto-and zooplankton population was found in the cistern treated with vermicompost followed by DAP, compost and control. In all the treatments dry weight and population of both phyto-and zooplankton population were significantly (P < 0.005) higher than control. The highest production of fish was obtained in the cisterns treated with vermicompost (3,970.56 kg ha(-1) 90 day(-1)), followed by diammonium phosphate (3,080.45 kg ha(-1) 90 day(-1)), compost (1,952.64 kg ha(-1) 90 day(-1)) and the lowest in the control (385.92 kg ha(-1) 90 day(-1)). Vermicompost might be cost-effective manure in carp culture, replacing the expensive chemical fertilizer diammonium phosphate.