Use of the African locust bean, Parkia biglobosa waste slurry as energy feedstuff in practical diets for Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L

Abstract

An assessment of the nutritive value of the waste slurry of the African locust bean, Parkia biglobosa as an energy source in practical diets for tilapia was carried out in glass aquaria. Five diets (35% crude protein) were formulated in which yellow maize was replaced at varying level with parkia slurry waste as follows: Diet 1, (100% slurry), diet 2, (100% yellow maize); diet 3 (75% slurry, 25% yellow maize), diet 4 (50% slurry, 50% yellow maize), diet 5 (25% slurry, 75% yellow maize). Growth performance and nutrient utilization of the fish were based on average daily weight gain (ADG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER). Good growth and feed utilization efficiencies were obtained in all diets, however diet 5 had significantly better growth and food utilization with the highest average daily weight gain (ADG) of 0.60, SGR (2.32) and PER (3.05% per day). Difference in SGR were not significantly different between all diets. The result showed that parkia slurry was better utilized by tilapia fish in diets 3 and 5 where their replacements were neither wholly nor equal.