Ajay Kumar Patra
An experiment of 120 days was conducted to evaluate the nutritional quality and acceptability of Lemna minor meal as component in the diets of Labeo rohita fry under laboratory culture condition. Four different feeds comprising of Lemna, fish meal, GNOC, ricebran, soyabean, salt and vitamin were used to formulate compound diets by replacing fish meal with Lemna at 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% inclusion levels of Lemna minor. The frys were fed at 5% body weight twice daily, morning and evening. The three inclusion levels of duckweed supported the growth of Labeo rohita fry but growth performance, weight gain and growth rate was favoured by low inclusion of duckweed meal. However, highest body weight gain (%) was recorded in the group of fish fed diet (0% inclusion of duck weed) which was not significantly different (p<0.05) from 15% level inclusion of duckweed. On the basis of the findings, the study showed that fish fry fed diet of 15% duckweed dietary inclusion performs best result and fish meal was completely non-replaceable but can be supplemented with duckweed up to an optimum level to produce cost effective feed.
