Effect of replacement of soyabean with lima bean (<i>Phaseolus lunatus</i>) meal on growth and hematological parameters of <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> juveniles burchell, 1822)

Abstract

A 98-day feeding trial was conducted to study the effects of replacing soyabean meal with graded levels of boiled lima bean meal (BLBM) on the growth of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. BLBM was used to replace soyabean meal at 0% (L0), 25% (L25), 50% (L50), 75% (L75) and 100% (L100) producing five (40% crude protein) diets. Diets were fed to triplicate groups of C. gariepinus (25.28±0.09g) at 3% body weight daily. Results indicated that the mean weight gain was significantly (P<0.05) higher in fish fed L0, L25 and L50 diets. Feed conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) showed no significant difference (P>0.05) as a result of the treatments. Apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of protein was significantly reduced with increasing BLBM inclusion from 75.27±3.58% in L0 to 64.46±4.75% in L100. Parked cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), plasma phosphorus (P) showed no significant difference (P>0.05) in fish fed diets L0 and L25. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was highest (3.41) in L100 and least (1.33) in L0. Summary of findings highlights that soyabean meal can be replaced with up to 50% of boiled lima bean meal in the diets of African catfish, C. gariepinus fingerlings.

Keywords: Lima bean meal, soyabean meal, digestibility, growth parameters, feed cost analysis, C. gariepinus