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Qiaogang village in Rugao is following an innovative rice-fish coexistence cultivation system. [Photo/WeChat account: RGETDZ]

Expectations were high as Chengbei sub-district in Rugao – a county-level city administered by Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – ushered in the harvest season recently, according to local officials.

In the district's Qiaogang village, farmers have adopted a unique rice-fish coexistence cultivation system and people are interested to see how it is developing and how the yields are going.

As distinct from the traditional method that raises fish in the rice fields, the district has separated the rice and fish and recycles the water between rice field and fishpond.

According to an expert, the water and sediment from the fishpond is used as a fertilizer for rice growth, which can purify the water and achieve zero sewage discharge of the fishpond.

Moreover, fishpond water – as a natural organic fertilizer – provides nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients for rice growth, thereby reducing the use of chemical fertilizer in rice planting.

Officials said the system has greatly improved the incomes of local farmers.

Experts said that they will further refine the process and find more fish breeds suitable for the system.