Evaluation of Growth Performance using Ipomoea aquatica (Forsk ) meal as partial supplementation with fish meal in the diet of Catla catla fry

The acceptable nutritional value of Ipomoea aquatica as ingredients in diets for Catla catla fry was experimented under culture system for 60 days. Four experimental diets prepared using dry leaf powder of Ipomoea aquatica @ 5%,10% and 15% in treatment T1-T3 respectively while treatment T4 was control diet without Ipomoea aquatica. The protein content of 30% was kept uniform in all diets. Feed was provided to fishfry daily twice @ 5% of the biomass to observe length and weight gain in experimental and control diets. Effect of different treatments on growth and survival on fries of Catla catla with experimental diets and water quality criteria measured over the 60 days of the experiment indicate that, the length, weight and survival of fry was significantly higher in treatment T3 where dry leaf powder of Ipomoea aquatica was provided @ 15% of biomass. Effect of different treatments on water quality, physico-chemical parameters such as Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Alkalinity and Total Dissolved salts were analyzed periodically according to Standard Methods of analysis, American Public Health Association(APHA),1985[2] and benefit cost ration (BCR) was also worked out to find out the economics in different treatments. A benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is a ratio used in a cost-benefit analysis to summarize the overall relationship between the relative costs and benefits of a proposed project. . The BCR is calculated by dividing the proposed total cash benefit of a project by the proposed total cash cost of the project. Prior to dividing the numbers, the net present value of the respective cash flows over the proposed lifetime of the project – taking into account the terminal values, including salvage/remediation costs – are calculated. If a project has a BCR greater than 1.0, the project is expected to deliver a positive net present value to a firm and its investors Our Hypothesis was that the escalating prices of fish meal and also the uncertain availability of superior quality fish meal have drawn attention of aquaculture nutrition scientists to substitute fish meal by other protein sources to the maximum extent. Apart from the conventional protein sources as soybean meal, oil seed meals, other cereal proteins and agricultural byproducts, non-conventional feedstuffs, i.e., those that have not been traditionally used in commercially produced rations for livestock are now being utilized as fish meal replacers in formulated aqua feeds. Ipomoea aquatica are small free-floating aquatic plants with worldwide distribution. The requirements of intensive aquaculture for nutritionally complete feeds have stimulated considerable research and development activities in the fields of fish nutrition and feed technology. Research interest has therefore been redirected towards the evaluation and use of unconventional protein sources for example plant seeds, leaves and agricultural byproducts. Keywords: Ipomoea aquatica, Catla catla, Protein source, feed replacement, growth, feed utilization.