CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE (CIFA)

Introduction

The Central Institute of Freshwater

Aquaculture (ICAR), Kausalyaganga, located at about 10 kms from Bhubaneswar on Bhubaneswar - Puri highway is the Premier Research Institute on Freshwater Aquaculture in the country. The Institute had its beginnings in the Pond Culture Division of the erstwhile Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute which was established at Cuttack, Orissa, in 1949. The Division was later upgraded as Freshwater Aquaculture Research and Training Centre (FARTC) established at Bhubaneswar in 1976 with UNDP/FAO assistance.

Further, the Centre attained the status of an independent Institute during 1986 and the functional existence of the Institute came into effect on 1 April, 1987. The Institute presently has six regional centres at Rahara, West Bengal; Bangalore, Karnataka; Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh; Akola, Maharashtra; and Ludhiana, Punjab along with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)/Trainers' Training Centre (TTC) at Kausalyaganga, Orissa,  and also ten ORP centres located in ten states of the country. The Headquarters of the Institute has nine sections, viz., Production Technology, Soil-Water Environment, Fish Genetics, Fish Nutrition, Fish Physiology, Fish Pathology, Aquaculture Engineering, Aquaculture Economics and Statistics, and Aquaculture Extension.  

The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research is the Premier Institute of Research and Training in the country

The Headquarters of the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture has a sprawling campus with an area of 147 ha. It is housed in a three-storeyed building with laboratory facilities for different specialisations in carps, catfish, prawn and pearl mussel, fish breeding and culture, fish genetics, fish nutrition, fish physiology, soil and water chemistry, aquatic microbiology, weed management, fish pathology and aquaculture engineering. 

The Institute has well equipped

laboratories for researches on different aspects of freshwater aquaculture like production technology, aquatic environment, fish genetics, fish nutrition, fish physiology, fish physiology, fish pathology, aquaculture engineering, aquaculture economics and statistics, and aquaculture extension. 

The fish farm with a total water area of about 50 ha comprises over 500 ponds of assorted sizes. The facilities in the farm include a carp hatchery with a production capacity of 50 million spawn, giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii hatchery of 10 million post-larvae, backyard hatchery for magur, (Clarias batrachus) and Indian river prawn (M. malcolmsonii), a wet laboratory (2 units of 30 mx 10 m), facilities for running water fish culture, paddy-cum-fish culture, sewage-fed fish culture, Azolla and algal culture, integrated fish farming, yard facilities, feed mill, etc. 

The Institute has a specialised library to serve different disciplines of freshwater aquaculture. The library possesses about 2000 volumes of books and subscribes of 20 foreign journals and 42 Indian journals, A CD-ROM facilities for specialised aquaculture journals is also available at the Institute. The FAO has recognised the library as Depository Library for FAO publications.

The Institute has a computer centre, radio-isotope laboratory,tissue culture laboratories, central instrumentation laboratory and a workshop for plasticraft.

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) under the administrative control of CIFA was established at Kausalyaganga in January 1977 with a separate budget of its own under the plan scheme of ICAR. The KVK functions as a part of the front-line extension wing of the ICAR basically o bridge the technological gap between the scientists and the practising farmers through need-based raining and field demonstrations. Started intitally as the KVK specialised in Aquaculture, it has developed over the ears into a composite extension centre with six disciplines, Viz., Fisheries, Crop Production, Plant Protection, Animal Sciences, Horticulture and Home Science. The institutional farm facility available in the KVK is being used to conduct on-campus skill training for farmers identified through village surverys on the rinciple of learning by doing and teaching by doing. In addition, the KVK renders farm advisory services in different villages as off-campus extension activities to complement the transfer of technology efforts. The clientele include practising farmers/farm women, schlool drop-outs and rural youths.

The basic mandate of the KVK is on-farm testing, refining and documenting technologies for developing region-specific sustainable land use system, organising training to update the extension personnel within the area of operation with emerging advances in agricultural research on a regular basis, organising long-term vocationsl learning by doing for genrating self-employment through institutional financing and organising front-line demonstrations in various crops to generate production data and feed-back information.

The impact of technology demonstration programmes is clearly visible with 100% adoption of the technology and a notable rise in farm productivity. The results of a sample survey conducted to study the impact are presented in the following Table.

No.of trainees

Adoption (%)

Annual income (Rs/Unit)

Before training After training

Cultivation of HYV rice

20

80

4500 6000

Cultivation of blackgram and greengram

10

90

1600 2100

Use of biofertiliser in rice field

10

60

4600 7500

Fertiliser management in rice crop

10

100

4300 8000

KVK conducts the regular training programmes in the various aspects of fishculture (Composite Fishculture, Common Carp breeding, Nursery pond management, Breeding of Indian major carps,

Stocking density and

species composition in composite fish culture and brood stock management of common carp for seed production), Animal Sciences ( Cleaning ad disinfection of poultry house wsith appropriate tools for disease prevention, Brooding of day-old broiler chicks by artificial brooder, Care and maintenance of milch animals, Rearing of Khaki Campbell ducks for egg production), Home Science (Skill and art of knitting for self-employment, Applique for rural women, Preparation of nutrious food from ragi and other cereals for small children, Balanced diet for pregnant women and lactating mothers and wearing practices), Horticulture (Planting of tissue-culture banana (Robusta), Paddy-straw mushroom management, Package of practices of planting of tissue culture banana (Robusta), Management practices in marigld culttivation as a commercial enterprise), Plant Protection (Insect pest/disease management of some summer vegetables (brinjal, okra, cucumber, pumpkin, sweet melon), Integrated disease and pest management of some vegetable crops, Integrated pest/disease control measure in groundnut and mushroom crops, Use of seed treating chemicals for seed, suckers, cuttings, leaves and rizomes, Insect pest and disease management of cauliflower, cabbage, knolkhol and potato), Crop Production ( Improved cultural practices and management of summer paddy, Cultivation of Azolla Spp: Management and practices, and as application in paddy field, Fertiliser application in transplanted paddy crops, Seed treatment and balanced dose of chemical fertiliser application of rice crops in Kharif season, Cultivation of arhar (UPAS-120) and blackgram using improved technology, Improved techniques ofr cultivation of pulse crop, greengram and blackgram),

The Trainers Training Centre (TTC), Kausalyaganga, is a subject-specific training/extension unit under the ICAR specialised for Aquaculture discipline. It was established in January, 1997 and is under the administrative control of CIFA, Kausalyaganga. The major thrust in its programme is to impart training in the latest technologies in the frontier areas of aquaculture production system to KVK teachers, in-service technical personnel of fisheries departments, extension professionals, etc. so as to strengthen the aquaculture extension system in the country with qualified and better-equipped professionals who themselves take up the responsibility as trainers.

Courses covered in the training include Freshwater Aquaculture, Nutrition in Freshwater aquaculture, Aquatic microbiology, Carp breeding, Hatchery management, Nutrient management, Catfish breeding, Integrated fish farming, Genetic upgradation of carp, Hatcher management and culture of Freshwater Prawn, Fish disease and diagnosie and control, Breeding and culture of ornamental fishes, Desing and construction of Freshwater hatchery and farm, Aquaculture extension, Quantitative techniques in aquaculture economics and Networking and biological data analysis

INSTITUTE BASED PROJECTS

1. Standardisation of multiple spawning programme, improvement of hatchery
technology and cryopreservation of male gametes for seed production of
Indian carps

2. Optimization of carp production through intensive aquaculture and
multiple cropping

3. Development of models for peninsular aquaculture breeding and culture
of peninsular fishes

4. Wastewater aquaculture resources in India and optimum production of
fishes through multiple cropping and harvesting

5. Sewage based integrated aquafarming and culture of minor carps and other
economically important fish species

6. Mass production of fry and fingerlings and culture of Clarias batrachus

7. Standadisation of Technologies of large scale seed productionand grow out culture of Indian river prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii 

8. Captive culture of freshwater mussels

9. Genetic upgradation of Indian major carps and exotic carps through genome
manipulation

10. Genetic improvement of rohu for growth through selective breeding

11. Nutrition and dietary studies with carps, catfish and prawn

12. Studies on the physiological mechanism of reproduction and digestion
in cultivable fishes

13. "Pathomorphology and immunopathological studies on important microbial
diseases of fish and shellfish"

14. Management of diseases and health conditions of fish under cultivation
through application of herbal materials

15. Studies on myxosporidiasis and fungal diseases of shellfish and finfish

16. Management of pond productivity through efficient use of macro and
micronutrients in the form of inorganics and organics for sustainable
aquaculture

17. Study on the water budgets for different freshwater aquaculture
practices

18. Optimum planning models for fish farming systems

19. Breeding and Culture of some non-conventional food fishes like Anabas testudineus,  Labeo calbasu, Mystus vittatus, Ompok pabo, etc.

20. Random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD) analysis in freshwater fishes

21. Multivariate study on the growth of freshwater carps in relation to biotic and abiotic factors

 EXTERNALLY FUNDED PROJECTS

1. Biotechnology Information System on Aquaculture

2. Development of Flow-thru' Systems for industrial aquaculture

3. Application of Plastics in Agriculture - Plant environment control
and Agricultural processing

4. Centre for Advanced Studies on Post-graduate Agricultural Education
and Research

5. Mission Mode Project on Freshwater Prawn Culture

6. Aquaculture as a tool for utilisation and treatment of domestic
sewage

7. Operational Research Project on "Processing and utilisation of
organic wastes in aquaculture"

8. Recycling of processed lignocellulosic wastes and cattlleshed
refuse in aqaucutlrue

9. Microflora and quality of fish culture in sewage - fed waters
with reference to shelf life and public health

10. Populations of the probable microbial pathogens posing a threat to
brakishwater aqua-farming in Sundarbans and their occurrence in the
form of released and unused wastewater

11. Investigations on characterisation of sex pheromones and their role
in reproduction and breeding of carp (Labeo rohita) and catfish
(Heteropneustes fossilis)

12. Hormonal control of breeding and seed raising in selected cultivable
carps and catfishes

13. Development of phosphatase producing bacterial biofertilisers for
aquaculture

14. Immunopathological and toxin neutralisation studies of aflatoxicosis in fishes

15. Role of environmental factors on immune reaction of freshwater fishes

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since its establishment at

Cuttack in 1949, the Pond Culture Division had made epoch-making cobtributions to the development of fish culture especially in carp breeding, seed raising and table-fish production. In fact, two major technologies of induced carp breeding and composite carp culture that laid the foundations of the modern Indian aquaculture were developed at this Division. This has led to a virtual change in the scenario of fish seed production in the country from total dependence on riverine seed collection to production of over 15,000 million of farm-bred fry at present. The Division had several credits in terms of development of specific packages of freshwater aquaculture technologies like sewage-fed carp culture, peninsular tank fisheries, integrated fish farming with agriculture and livestock, etc.

As a reorgnised Institute, CIFA has made several outstanding contributions such as multiple breeding of carps, gamete cryopreservation, intensive carp culture with production rates of 10 and 15 t/ha/yr, breeding and hatchery management of catfishes, Clarias batrachus and Heteropacustes fossilis, and freshwater prawns, Macrobrachium rosenbergii and M. malcolmsonii, production of cultured freshwater pearls through nuclei implantation in freshwater mussels, aquatic biofertilization with Azolla and utilisation of biogas slurry as organic farming practices, production of sterile triploid grass carp,formulation of diets for fish and prawn species (CIFACA a commercial carp diet), formulation of CIFAX as a control measure for epizootic ulcerative syndrome, packages of practices for sewage-fed fish culture and cage culture, breeding and rearing of commercially important frog species etc. are a few to name. Ornamental fish breeding and culture is a new area that is being  addressed to by the Institute in view of their high export potentials.

The Institute has hosted three UNDP/FAO programmes and the project on Centre of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Freshwater Aquaculture, in collaboration with the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, provides for M.F.Sc. and Ph.D degrees. Besides undertaking the Institute-based research projects, the Institute has operated as many as 23 externally funded projects. The Institute has active research collaboration and extension linkages with many national and international institutions. The UNESCO-MIRCEN has recognised the RLCI as a Microbiological Resource Centre in Aquatic Microbiology.

TRAINING PROGRAMMES 

ICAR FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTES 

1. Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture  
Kausalyaganga, Bhubaneswar - 751002, Orissa  
Telephone : 91-0674-465421/465446/465430  
Fax : 91-0674-465407  
Telex : 91-0675-6443 CIFA IN  
Telegram : AQUACULT, BHUBANESWAR  
E-mail : cifa@ori.nic.in,  cifa@hub1.nic.in

2. Central Institute of Fisheries Educaiton  
Seven Bungalows, Jai Prakash Road, Versova,  
Bombay - 400061, Maharashtra  
Telephone : (022) 6261573, 6263403, 6261656  
Fax : 022 - 6261573  
Telex : 011-78421 CIFE IN  
Telegram : FISHINST  

3. Central Inland  Fisheries Research Institute  
Barrackpore - 743101, West Bengal  
Telephone : (033) 5561190, 5561191  
Fax : 033-5560386  
Telex : 021-8552 CIFI IN  
Telegram : FISHRESEARCH  

4. Central Institute of Brackishwater aquaculture  
141, Marshal's Road, Egmore, Madras - 600008, Tamilnadu  
Telephone : 044-8554866, 8554891  
Fax : 044-8554851  
Telex : 041-6054 CIBA IN  
Telegram : MONODON  
E-mail : ciba@x400.nicgw.nic.in  

5. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute  
P.B. No. 1603, P.O. Tatapuram, Cochin 682014, Kerala  
Telephone : 0484-369867, 367459  
Fax : 0484-374818  
Telex : 0885-6435 MFRI IN  
Telegram : CADALMIN  

6. Central Institute of Fisheries Technology  
Willington Island, Matsyapuri, Cochin - 682029, Kerala  
Telephone : 0484-667727, 666880, 666845  
Fax : 0484-668212  
Telex : 6885-6440 CIFT IN  
Telegram : FISHTECH  

7. National Bureau of Fish Genetics Resources  
Radheswamy Bhavan, 351/28, Dariyapur  
Talkatora Road, Rajendra Nagar  
Lucknow - 226004, Uttar Pradesh  
Telephone : 0522-258370, 259820  
Telegram : GERMPLASM  

8. National Research Centre on Coldwater Fisheries  
P.B. No. 28, Roop Nagar, Haldwani,  
Nainital, - 263139, Uttar Pradesh  
Telephone : 05946-20445  
Telegram : MAHSEER  

Contact:

Dr. K. Janaki Ram
DIRECTOR, CIFA

KAUSALYAGANGA, BHUBANESWAR 751002,ORISSA, INDIA 
Tel : 0674-465421, 465446, 465430     Telex : 0675-6443 CIFA IN      Fax : 0674-465407 
E-mail: cifa@ori.nic.in , cifa@hub1.nic.in