It indicated that both rice and fish could get bumper harvest. The researches are based on the fact that the potential crisis of food shortage has been existing in China, and the average arable land is decreasing as the population grows, and with scanty spare arable land, the fully utilization of ample surface of inland waters may be of immense value. The accumulated trial area has reached to more than 10 ha. Cyperus alternifolius L. gained greater biomass. The experiments show that surface aquaponics can be combined with aquaculture and environmental protection.
China has a long history of pond fish culture.
It enriched the market of aquatic products in China. However, fertilization often causes eutrophication in fishponds. It not only deteriorates the water quality of fishponds resulting in prevalent fish diseases, and even fish mortality in large amounts, but also accelerates the eutrophication process of rivers or lakes because of water exchange between fishponds and the natural waters surrounding fishponds. Such kind of production model can not be sustainable. In 1991 the experiment proved it was feasible.