As a result of the green revolution, the use of yield-increasing inputs such as fer tilizer and pesticides became a matter of course in irrigated rice farming in Southeast Asia. Pesticides were applied liberally, both as a guarantee against crop failure and as a means of fully utilizing the existing yield potential of the crops. However, since outbreaks of pests, such as the brown planthopper (BPH) or the tungro virus, continued to occur despite the application of chemicals, a change of approach began to take place. It is now being realized more and more in Southeast Asia that crop protection problems cannot be resolved solely by the application of chemicals. In the past several years, increasing efforts have there fore been made to introduce, as a first step, supervised crop protection, leading gradually to integrated pest management (Kranz, 1982). Although the crop protection problems naturally differ in the different devel oping countries in Southeast Asia, the economic situation prevailing in these countries can nevertheless be regarded as an important common determinant: pesticide imports use up scarce foreign currency and thus compete with other imports essential to development. For the individual rice farmer, the problem is basically the same: his cash funds are limited and he must carefully weigh whether to use them for purchas ing pesticides, fertilizer or certified seed. In view of this constraint, it is becom ing necessary to abandon the purely prophylactic, routine calendar spraying and instead, employ critically timed and need-based pesticide applications.

This book is divided into three sections. Following the "Introduction", the second section, "Sustainable Aquaculture", offers integrated information on rice cultivation and aquaculture that provide additional benefits to producers. In addition, the participation of aquaculture in the restoration of the Crassostrea virginica fishery is evaluated. The third section, "Homeopathy and Probiotics", is about highly diluted substances and beneficial microorganisms that have proved their effectiveness in human medicine, agronomy, veterinary and currently in the marine aquaculture field. Also, a study focused on the performance of growth and nutrient utilization of the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium vollenhovenii fed diets supplemented with Lactobacillus acidophilus is presented. This book can be consulted by students, professors and researchers in the area of biological sciences.

Aquaculture for both finfish and shellfish is expanding rapidly throughout the world. It is regarded as having the potential to provide a valuable source of protein in less developed countries and to be integrated into the farming systems and livelihoods of the rural poor. This book addresses key issues in aquaculture and rural development, with case studies drawn from several countries in South and South-East Asia. Papers included cover topics ranging from production and technical issues (such as pond culture and rice field fisheries) to social aspects and research and development methodology. The book has been developed from a meeting of the Asian Fisheries Society. It is aimed at all concerned with aquaculture and rural development.