Field Crop 2025, Vol.8, No.5, 238-246 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 238 Feature Review Open Access Eco-environmental Benefits of Integrated Rice-Fish Farming: Reducing the Impact of Fertilizer and Pesticide Use Deshan Huang, Yuandong Hong, Qifu Zhang Hier Rice Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding email: qifu.zhang@hitar.org Field Crop, 2025, Vol.8, No.5 doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0024 Received: 07 Aug., 2025 Accepted: 18 Sep., 2025 Published: 09 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Huang et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang D.S., Hong Y.D., and Zhang Q.F., 2025, Eco-environmental benefits of integrated rice-fish farming: reducing the impact of fertilizer and pesticide use, Field Crop, 8(5): 238-246 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2025.08.0024) Abstract Integrated rice-fish farming has emerged as a sustainable alternative to conventional rice cultivation, addressing environmental degradation caused by excessive chemical inputs. This study investigates the eco-environmental benefits of integrated rice-fish systems, with a focus on reducing fertilizer and pesticide use. By examining mechanisms such as nutrient recycling through fish activity, reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and improved soil conditions, we demonstrate how these systems contribute to more efficient nutrient management. Additionally, the study explores the role of fish in natural pest and weed control, thereby lowering pesticide and herbicide dependence while enhancing overall agroecosystem biodiversity. Broader ecological benefits, including water quality improvement, carbon sequestration, and habitat conservation, are also evaluated. A case study from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, illustrates the real-world impacts and adoption process of this farming practice. Despite notable environmental advantages, challenges such as technical barriers and limited policy support remain. This research underscores the potential of integrated rice-fish systems in advancing sustainable agriculture and recommends strategic interventions for wider implementation and policy integration. Keywords Integrated rice-fish farming; Fertilizer reduction; Pesticide reduction; Eco-environmental benefits; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction The practice of raising fish in rice fields has been increasingly seen as a promising sustainable agricultural method. It not only brings ecological benefits, but also economic gains. The basic idea of this practice is to combine rice cultivation and fish farming, and try to make good use of land and water resources, thereby improving the efficiency of agricultural production and protecting the environment. In this system, farmers grow rice and raise fish in the same rice field. When fish move in the rice field, they stir the soil, help decompose organic matter in the rice field, and eat some pests and weeds. These natural processes can reduce farmers' dependence on pesticides and fertilizers, make agriculture more environmentally friendly, and make farmland more "vital" (Nayak et al., 2018). To put it simply, rice-fish symbiosis is to grow rice and raise aquatic animals, such as fish, in the same field. This method can make fuller use of nutrients in rice fields and improve the quality of soil and water. Because of the activities of fish, it can also promote the reproduction of microorganisms in the rice field ecosystem, which help maintain the ecological balance of farmland (Hou et al., 2024). Many studies have found that compared with rice farming alone, raising fish in rice fields can increase output and profits per unit area (Arunrat and Sereenonchai, 2022). More importantly, farmers can not only harvest rice, but also sell fish, which makes their income more stable and their food sources more abundant (Fu et al., 2024). Traditional monoculture of rice usually requires a large amount of fertilizers and pesticides. Excessive use of these things will lead to many problems, such as the land becoming increasingly barren, water sources being polluted, and even more greenhouse gases being emitted (Ibrahim et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2023). In the long run, this method not only damages the ecological environment, but also makes people worry about whether agriculture can continue. Moreover, pesticide residues may also affect human health and put pressure on rural life (Pearlin et al., 2024).
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