The deep-water soilless cage aquaculture project, led by the Hubei Yuan'an County Agricultural Technology Center, has successfully passed its acceptance inspection. This innovative technology involves cultivating astragalus (a type of aquatic plant) in deep-water cages without soil, achieving remarkable yields and economic returns. The project covered 200 square meters of aquaculture area, with an average yield of 13.64 kg per square meter and a unit production value of 625.5 yuan per square meter, resulting in a profit of 280 yuan per square meter. Below are the key technologies implemented in this system:
1. **Cage Design**: The cages are rectangular, with sizes ranging from 15 to 100 square meters. Their length is at least three times their width. The total height of each cage is approximately 1.5 meters, with 0.5–0.7 meters of air space above the water and 0.8–1 meter of water depth inside. The cage material is made of high-density polyethylene mesh, with a mesh size between 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm. The upper and lower ropes have a diameter of 6 mm.
2. **Cage Placement**: These cages are installed in sunny, clean, and quiet water bodies such as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, or floating rafts. To ensure stability, the supporting bamboo rafts must be tightly secured, and steel ropes around the cages should be tightened. Each corner of the cage is filled with 25 kg of yellow mud in bags, pressed against the bottom to keep the mesh perpendicular to the water surface or the lake bed.
3. **Aquatic Plant Transplantation**: Astragalus thrives in environments with floating aquatic plants. Fast-growing species like water hyacinths and water peanuts are ideal for this purpose. A 20–30 cm floating row is established on both ends of the cage, leaving the middle area open. The process includes straightening the plant vines on the shore, piling them up, and using iron forks to place them vertically into the cage. Approximately 25 kg of plants can be placed per square meter.
4. **Stocking Methods**: After soaking the plants for 10–15 days, quail seedlings are introduced when the water temperature is between 18°C and 20°C. Wild-caught quails, free of disease and injury, with a weight of 30–40 grams each, are used. Before stocking, they are sterilized in a 2%–3% saline solution for 5–8 minutes. Stocking density depends on the floating plant coverage, typically 2–2.5 kg per square meter.
5. **Feeding and Domestication**: Within 2–3 days after stocking, the quails are fed with animal-based feed such as fish, shrimp, or meat. Initially, a mix of fish paste, stew, and compound feed is used in a ratio of 9:1. Over 4–5 days, the proportion of compound feed is gradually increased to 60%–70%, while animal feed remains at 30%–40%. For every 100 kg of astragalus, 5–6 kg of feed is provided daily, ideally in the evening.
6. **Daily Management**: The "push-out method" is used to remove leftover food and dead organisms. By pushing the floating plants from one end to the other, it allows for easy cleaning and monitoring. This technique supports efficient daily operations and regular checks throughout the entire cage.
7. **Disease Prevention and Treatment**: Regular disinfection and deworming are crucial. Disinfection is done every 20 days using 25 mg/L quicklime or 1 mg/L bleach. Deworming is performed every 40 days with 0.45 mg/L trichlorfon. In case of enteritis, 5 g of oxytetracycline or sulfamethoxazole is used per 100 kg of astragalus for 5–7 days. For bleeding incidents, 2.5 g of fluoctonic acid is used per 100 kg for 5–6 days.
8. **Winter Survival**: This aquaculture method does not support safe winter survival. All astragalus must be harvested before the end of December. If retention is needed during winter, the plants are moved to specially prepared wintering pools. A 3m x 3m earthen pond, 1m deep, is dug for every 50 kg of astragalus. The original cage is placed in the pool with 20–30 cm of soil. After 2–3 days of soaking, the water is drained over 10–15 days. Finally, straw or thatch is added to the pool to protect the plants during cold weather.
This advanced aquaculture model demonstrates a sustainable and profitable approach to deep-water farming, offering valuable insights for future agricultural development.
Stair Railings,Stainless Steel Stair Railings,Stair Guardrails,Aluminium Zinc Steel Stair Railing
Xuzhou Guifeng Metal Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.guifengmetal.com