‘BOOK of ABSTRACTS: National Seminar on innovative Technologies Towards Sustainability (TTS-2010) MANAGEMENT OF AQUATIC WEEDS FOR AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION ENHANCEMENT Subhendu Datta, B. K. Mahapatra and Parimal Sardar Central Institute of Fisheries Education Kolkata Centre, 32-GN Block, Sector - V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata subhdatta@gmail.com 700091 Weed infestation in water bodies is a serious problem in fisheries. It destabilizes the balance of the ecosystem and the basic source of livelihood of the fish farmers. Floating weeds like water hyacinth, Pistia, Salvinia can cover the whole water body within few months when allowed to grow without any interventions. Fish worth million of rupees are lost every year at the hand of these weed menace. Submerged aquatic weeds like Aydrilla, Vallisnaria, ceratophyllum, chara, prefer clear water, where they form dense stands. The problem in controlling these plants relates to their mode of spread; the smallest viable vegetative fragment can re-establish a population. When left uncontained, these aquatic weeds are also likely to fully colonize all available habitats, within a short period of time. Free floating weeds can be tackled manually through proper interventions at right time (e.g. mechanical removal). However, for the submerged weeds, mechanical removal does not give optimum results especially for rooted weeds. Therefore, there is a need to find ‘out suitable herbicide which can control these weeds throughout the year as well as leave no toxic residues in the aquatic environment. Such herbicides do exists and are being used in developed countries (e.g. Fluridone), but they are not even registered for used in India. Unlike developed countries, in India there is not even a single herbicide which is registered as aquatic herbicide. So, the actual problem for the control of submerged weeds does not lay on finding potent herbicides but finding an herbicide(s) amongst the herbicides registered for use in India, which can give good control. Results obtained from the experiments conducted at CIFE, Kolkata and Powerkheda Centre is outlined below. On the basis of the effect on water hyacinth test herbicides can be arranged in this order: 2,4-D ester > 2,4-D amine salt > 2,4-D Na Salt> Glyphosate > Chlorimuron. When herbicides were applied at early vegetative stage of the weed lower dose was required to control. 2,4-D ester is a better choice for controlling water hyacinth (than 2,4-D salts) for which a dose of 3 kg/ha will produce good control. However, like water hyacinth best herbicide to control Pistia could not be ascertained due to inconsistent results in experiments. Chlorimuron has no effect on Pistia. Other four herbicides has the ability to control, however, application dose is to be varied from 5 - 20 kg/ha from tender to matured weeds. Long term Lab trials of fluridone (Sonar®) on four submerged weeds e.g. Hydrilla, Najas, Vallisneria and Ceratophyllum were conducted with fluridone standard. Experiment was conducted at three different dosages ic. 30, 60 and 90 ppb and observations were taken for 90 days. In each treatment, three fingerlings of Rohu were released and acclimatized for 15 days. Fluridone showed good sign of control of weeds im fibre tank within 45 days. Amongst rooted submerged weeds Hydrilla and Najas were more sensitive to this chemical than Vallisneria. Ceratophyllum was least sensitive Jointly Organized by CIFE, Kolkata Centre and Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of W.B. on 2Oct2010 35BOOK of ABSTRACTS: National Seminar on Innovative Technologies Towards Sustainability (ITTS-2010) amongst these four weeds and whitish discolouration of twigs was observed after 30 days. The sensitivity of weeds to fluridone was: Ceratophyllum 8,000 per ha and depth of water was > 5 ff, the growth of submerged weed was almost nil. The importance of these three parameters was in the order of: colour> depth> density of fish. In conclusion it can be said that management of aquatic environment is the only option to control the submerged aquatic weeds as herbicides available in India are not effective to control submerged weeds. Maintenance of water depth (5 ft or above), colour (water shouldn’t be transparent) and higher stocking density (>8000 adults/ha) reduces the chances of infestation of submerged weeds remarkably. EFFECT OF EXTRUSION PROCESSING OF FEED ON APPARENT DIGESTIBILITY OF NUTRIENTS & PERFORMANCES IN ROHU (LABEO ROHITA HAM.) al Sardar, Rajeev Kumar, Archana Sinha and Subhendu Datta Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kolkata Centre 32 GN Block, Sector-V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700 091 parimalsardar2004@yahoo.co.in ‘An experiment was conducted in rohu (Labeo rohita H.) with feeding of extruded pellets (T)) and steam compressed pellets (T2) for 8 weeks period at laboratory condition to Jointly Organized by CIFE, Kolkata Centre and Directorate of Fisheries, Govt. of W.B. on 2 Oct 2010-36