THE EFFECT OF FEEDING HEAT TREATED MORINGA OLEIFERA (LAM) LEAF MEAL ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS (LAM) FRY.

Abstract

In aquaculture the increasing price of feed is one of the most important factors that limit profitability. The high costs have led to the need to identify alternative protein sources for use in fish feed formulations. The utilization of non-conventional and lesser–utilized plant protein sources to replace fishmeal in fry diets has been an area of focus in aquaculture nutrition. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of feeding heat-treated moringa (Moringa oleifera) supplemented diets on the growth performance of the Oreochromis niloticus fry. Four iso-nitrogenous diets were used; 5 % boiled moringa and 95 % fry meal (Diet A); 10 % boiled moringa and 90 % fry meal (Diet B); 5 % steamed moringa and 95 % fry meal (Diet C) and 10 % steamed moringa and 90 % fry meal (Diet D),and Diet E was the control diet containing fishmeal as protein source. A standard 24-day fry feeding trial was carried out in fry tanks with each tank stocked with 15 000 fry. The growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio of fry fed for the five diets were similar. The body weight gain were not different) and ranged from 0.012 to 0.014 g/d for fry fed boiled moringa and the control diets. Fry fed steamed moringa and control diets had higher FCR values compared to those on boiled moringa diets but the differences were not significant. Fry fed steamed diets had better growth performance than those on boiled diets although the differences were not significant. It was concluded that steam-heated moringa leaf meal could be used to substitute 10 % of dietary protein in Nile tilapia fry diets without significant reduction in growth performance.