Impact of Different Treatments and Temperatures on Algae in Makhana Production

Author: Ruby Saha, Anil Kumar, P.K. Yadav, Rajeev Kumar Srivastava and Sudhanand Prasad Lal

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Abstract

Among different states of India, Bihar is the largest producer of Makhana, not only in India but in the world. It alone produces for more than 85 % of world production of Makhana. Generally, makhana is grown in stagnant water ponds or swampy wastelands. One common difficulty in cultivation of makhana in these water ponds or inland water-area is threatening by the invasion of noxious aquatic weeds. In recent years a minor aquatic weed, especially algae, started creating problem in makhana cultivation, makhana fish aquaculture and all other makhana based cropping system. Day by day, algae is becoming a serious problem in makhana-based cropping systems, resulting in loss of yield and deterioration of water quality. During day time, in presence of sunlight, algae gets involved in photosynthesis resulting into more oxygen production, which is good for aquatic life. But at night the process becomes reverse. Algae starts using oxygen resulting into decrease in the supply of oxygen to the entire aqua based makhana production system. However, in a very small span of time during night the densely populated algae in a pond can create oxygen deficient environment, which is very harmful for all the aquatic ecosystem including makhana crops or even harmful for makhana-fish intercropping and other makhana based cropping system. Besides depleting oxygen in makhana field, when large populations of algae grow in the Makhana fields, the temperature of the water also increases, which further depletes oxygen dissolved in the water & impacting the health of the whole aqua ecosystem. It was therefore, felt necessary to take an experiment for managing algal menace in makhana cultivation. Rice straw has been found promising in controlling the growth of algal bloom in makhana growing plots, and its application also resulted in maintaining the temperature towards normal, hence maintaining the aquatic environmental health

Keywords

Algae, Aquaculture, Dissolved Oxygen, Makhana-cropping system, Temperature, Water Quality

Conclusion

Practice of using rice straw, which is a biologically degradable, relatively abundant and highly economical material, is capable in controlling infestation of algae in makhana. Apart from this it also helps in maintaining the conductive range of water temperature (20°C to 35°C) for about all the five growing months of makhana throughout the year which further leads to proper growth and development of makhana. It has also proved its superiority in term of maintaining the balance of pH in water of experimental plot throughout the cropping season of makhana crop

References

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How to cite this article

Ruby Saha, Anil Kumar, P.K. Yadav, Rajeev Kumar Srivastava and Sudhanand Prasad Lal (2023). Impact of Different Treatments and Temperatures on Algae in Makhana Production. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(7): 393-396.