Effect of protein-rich forage and fertilizer from pig manure or biodigester effluent on growth of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

 

Chhay Ty1, Pek Samnang1, Kong Saroeun1 and T R Preston2

 

1Center for Livestock and Agriculture Development. Prah Theat village, Sankat Rolous, Khan Dangkor. PO Box 2423 Phnom Penh 3, Cambodia
chhayty@celagrid.org

2 Fundación para la Producción Agropecuaria Tropical Sostenible Capitulo Colombia

Abstract

 

In this study there were two fish species in equal proportions: Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) with average initial weight of 9.03±0.33g and 5.59±0.44g for Tilapia and Silver carp, respectively. The treatments were arranged as a 3*2 factorial in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The first factor was forage sources (fresh water spinach, duckweed and taro leaves meal); the second factor was fertilizer source (biodigester effluent and raw pig manure). The amounts of fertilizer were equivalent to 2 kg N/ha/day. The fertilizers were applied to every pond one week before the experiment started and thereafter twice a week. The forages were offered at 5% of fish weight (DM basis). The experiment was conducted for 100 days. The daily weight gain (DWG), length gain (DLG) and ratio of weight and length gain (WG/LG) of tilapia species was better than silver carp (P<0.001) and both fish species were highest DWG, DLG and WG/LG when fed duckweed (DW) and water spinach (WS) treatment but lowest on taro leaves meal (TLM) (P<0.05). Meanwhile, there was fertilizers effect which better on biodigester effluent rather than raw pig manure (P<0.05). The total net fish yield was high on tilapia fish compared with silver carp (P<0.001) and both fish species were high yield when fed DW and WS treatment rather than TLM (P=0.002) but no effect on fertilizer (effluent or pig manure) (P>0.05). Fish survival rate were not different on forages (duckweed, taro leaves meal and water spinach) and fish species (tilapia and silver carp) but it was effect on fertilizer which high survival rate on pig manure and lowest in effluent (P=0.007).  It is concluded that using the foliage from fresh water spinach or fresh duckweed are readily available in rural areas and can be readily adopted by small scale farmers

 

Key words: Tilapia, Silver Carp, water spinach, duckweed, taro leaves meal, biodigester effluent, raw pig manure, weight gain, length gain, survival, and yield