Abstract

Transferring, or "relaying," small crayfish from overcrowded, food deficient, production ponds to rice fields consistently encouraged further growth and substantially increased their marketing value. Crayfish of minimal marketing size (mean weight= 13.5 g) were stocked into newly established rice fields at rates of 280, 560, 840, and 1,120 kg ha^-1. After 4-6 weeks, crayfish were recovered, and a subsequent rice crop was harvested. Crayfish more than doubled in weight after relaying, and 87% of the reharvested crayfish were in the two largest, most valuable size categories. Average recovery ranged from 75% of the total weight stocked to 131% and was affected by stocking rate. Highest recovery rates and largest crayfish were generally inversely proportional to stocking rate. Moreover, a satisfactory rice yield was achieved after the crayfish harvest. Rice yield was reduced 24% by intercropping (due mainly to presence of trapping lanes), but the economic gain from relaying may more than offset the net loss from rice. Attempts to harvest crayfish with nets during normal water discharge, in lieu of trap harvesting that reduces rice yield, were deemed unsuitable because of poor crayfish recovery. More research and further economic analyses are needed before specific recommendations can by made, but results from this 5-year study generally support the concept of integrating crayfish and rice production in a relay-reharvest management approach, especially for those farming operations that normally function as integrated rice/crawfish operations.

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