EFFECT OF REPLACEMENT OF SOYABEAN (Glycine max) MEAL WITH BAMBARA NUT (Vign asubterranea) HULL MEAL IN THE DIET OF AFRICAN CATFISH (Clariasgariepinus) JUVENILES

Abstract

Bambara nut (Vignasubterranea) hull meal is produced as a waste product during the processing of Bambaranut into human food. This waste product is usually discarded. A study was therefore conducted in the Laboratory of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Prince AbubakarAudu University, Anyigba to determine the effect of replacing soya bean (Glycine max) meal with Bambara nut hull meal in the diet of African catfish (Clariasgariepinus) juvenile. Five diets were formulated with the replacement of soya bean meal with Bambara hull meal at 0% replacement, designated as D1, 25% replacement D2, 50% D3, 75% D4, and 100% D5, were used to feed one hundred and fifty(150) juveniles of Clariasgariepinus with the initial weight of 18± 1.35g in bioassay of five units with three replicate. The experiment was designed as Completely Randomized Design (One Way ANOVA) with five treatments and three replicates. The data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance.The significance of the means was determined by least significant difference (LSD) using the SPSS version 23 (2015) statistical software package. The result of the physicho-chemical parameter of the water of the bioassay water was within the optimal range recommended by WHO for the culture of fresh water fishes. The results of growth performance, feed utilization and survival ofClariasgariepinus juveniles fed with different level substitution of soya beans meal with bambara nut hull meal diets showedthe highest weight gain (16.33g) was recorded in the diet two (D2) having 25% replacement, although there was no significant difference (p<0.05) between D2 and D1. However, D5 having 100% replacement had the lowest weight gain (4.33g). Feed Conversion Ratio, Feed Conversion Efficiency and Specific Growth Rate were better with D2 than others. Survival Rate was higher in all other diets than the control diet (D1). This study therefore showed that Bambara nut hull meal contains necessary growth factors required for Clariasgariepinus juveniles and 25% replacement is recommended for use. The study also acknowledged that Clariasgariepinus can tolerate and survive more with the diets containing Bambara nut than diets containing only soya bean meal as the survival rate were higher range from60-70 %in all the diet containing Bamara nut hull meal than with only soya beans meal control, 60%.