Comparison of Five Fertilization Programs for Fish Ponds

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Abstract
Five fertilization programs were compared in sunfish ponds at Auburn, Alabama, during the 1980 growing season. Each fertilization program was replicated four times and fertilizers were applied on 12 dates. Amounts of fertilizer per application, types of fertilizer (percentages by weight), and net production of sunfish were: 45 kg/hectare of fishpond fertilizer (N‐P2O5‐K2O:20–20‐5), 228 kg/hectare of sunfish; 20 kg/hectare of triple superphosphate (0–46‐0), 298 kg/hectare; 10 kg/hectare of triple superphosphate, 226 kg/hectare; 10 kg/hectare of diammonium phosphate (18–46‐0), 308 kg/hectare; and 8 kg/hectare of liquid fertilizer (13–25‐0), 228 kg/hectare. None of the values for net production differed significantly (P > 0.05), even though there were considerable differences in N, P2O5, and K2O application rates among treatments. Net production of sunfish in two control ponds was only 125 kg/hectare—a value comparable to those reported for other unfertilized ponds in the Piedmont area of Alabama. Concentrations of filtrable orthophosphate, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a were higher in the treatments receiving the greatest amount of phosphorus fertilizer. However, the low phosphorus application rates resulted in adequate plankton growth to stimulate fish production.

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