Evaluation of Jeevamruth as a Natural Microbial Input for Sustainable Fish Cum Horticulture System

Abstract

Jeevamruth, a natural microbial formulation from Indian traditional farming, as an eco-friendly additive for aquaculture and integrated horticulture systems. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Jeevamruth as a natural microbial input in an integrated fish-horticulture system, and to identify the optimal Jeevamruth application level for water quality stability and biological productivity. The experiment was conducted at the College of Fisheries Science, Kamdhenu University (Gujarat, India), using Labeo rohita fingerlings cultured for 60 days in 1000 L FRP tanks under three treatments: control (C), Jeevamruth 0.5 % (T1), and Jeevamruth 1 % (T2). Each aquaculture tank was connected to horticultural plots cultivated with cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) to utilize nutrient-rich effluents. Jeevamruth was prepared using cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour, and native soil, and applied every 10 days. Results indicated that the 0.5 % Jeevamruth treatment significantly improved water quality stability (pH 7.6 ± 0.2, DO 6.3 ± 0.3 mg L⁻¹, NH₃ 0.22 ± 0.04 mg L⁻¹) compared to control. Fish growth performance improved by 26 % in T₂, with feed conversion ratio reduced to 1.10 ± 0.04. Cluster bean biomass and yield increased by 18 % and 21 %, respectively, in T1 compared to control. The higher Jeevamruth concentration (1 %) showed no additional benefits, indicating microbial saturation effects. The findings demonstrate that Jeevamruth at 0.5 % can enhance microbial balance, nutrient recycling, and overall system sustainability in low-input aquaculture horticulture systems.