Utilization of Cultivated Plants in Homegardens with or without a Fish Pond in West Java

Abstract

The utilization of cultivated plants in five homegardens each with and without a fish pond in Selajambe Village, located at about 70km west of Bandung in Java Island, was surveyed in the dry season.
The area of the homegardens with and without a fish pond was in the range of 98-1000m² and 78-1500m², respectively. The area of the fish pond ranged from 20 to 40m². The area of the fields including lowland and upland fields belonging to the farmers who owned a homegarden with a fish pond was larger than that in the absence of a fish pond. The total number of plant species cultivated in the homegardens with and without a fish pond was in the range of 13-33 and 19-60, respectively, indicating that the utilization of plants was wider in the gardens without a fish pond compared with that in the presence of a fish pond. When all the plants were classified according to the purpose of utilization, the number of vegetable, starchy, spice and medicinal plants as well as that of plants for miscellaneous uses was larger in the homegardens without a fish pond than in those with a fish pond, while in the case of the industrial and ornamental plants there were no differences between the two types of homegardens. Regardless of the presence of a fish pond, fruit trees were the most important crops grown in the homegardens, in terms of species.
Based on these observations, it was considered that the degree of dependence of the farmers on homegardens without a fish pond was higher compared with the homegardens with a pond.