Application of organic fertilizer originated from shrimp pond solid waste using different bioactivators in milkfish nursery Chanos chanos (Forsskal. 1775)

Abstract

Pond sediment was rich in nitrogen, phosphor, potassium, organic matter, and other macro and micronutrients. The composting method can convert pond solid waste into organic fertilizer. This study aimed to assess the impact of applying organic fertilizer derived from solid waste from shrimp ponds, using various bio activators, on the growth and survival of milkfish in nurseries Chanos chanos (Forsskal. 1775). The study utilized a completely randomized design (CRD) comprising of five treatments, with each treatment being replicated three times. The treatment combination consists of an organic fertilizer made of 2.000 kg/ha of pond solid waste, 200 kg/ha of Urea, and 100 kg/ha of SP-36. using four different bioactivators: BIOTAN-28 (A), TR-04 (B), EM-4 (C), ISO (D), and organic fertilizer without bioactivator as control (E). Milkfish was reared in 30 days. The variables under observation included the plankton’s composition and abundance, the growth and survival rate of milkfish, and water quality. The study’s findings demonstrated that utilizing organic fertilizer obtained from shrimp pond solid waste, in conjunction with the application of ISO bioactivator, provided better growth of natural feed, weight growth, and survival rate of milkfish compared to the control. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the growth and survival rate of milkfish across the treatments. The milkfish growth ranged from 0.35-0.69 g/ind, with a survival rate ranging from 93.33-98.89%. The study determined that the water quality is suitable for the growth and survival rate of juvenile milkfish.