Cost Benefit of Azanza garckeana (Goron Tula) Seed Meal at Different Inclusion Levels in the Diet of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Juveniles

Abstract

Five diets of different inclusion levels of Azanza garckeana seed meal 0%- Diet 1 (control),5%-Diet 11, 10%- Diet 111, 15%-Diet 1V and 20%-Diet V were fed to five triplicate groups of ‘Clarias gariepinus’ juveniles to determine the cost benefit of the  seed meal. The juveniles of mean weight 5.1g were stocked in fifteen plastic bowls of 300L for 56 days.Mean water quality parameters range between (25.4-25.73^oC) temperature, (5.96-6.15) pH, (5.50-5.88mg/l) DO₂, and (31.02-34.10uscm^-1) conductivity, (2.71-3.13mg/l)Carbon dioxide, (30.20-31.94mg/l) Alkalinity. The growth performance, survival rate and cost benefit ratio were estimated from the study. Fish fed Diet V has the best growth performance of 76.1%-RGR, 0.44%-SGR, 1.15-FCR. Fish fed Diet1had the least growth performance of RGR(24.7%), SGR(0.17%/day) and FCR(2.52). Although fish fed Diet 5 had the best profit index of 0.42 but fish fed Diet 3 had the highest Benefit:Cost ratio of 0.33, which is better than the remaining diets. Since the cost benefit analysis reveals that ‘Clarias gariepinus’ juveniles fed Diet 5 (20% Azanza garckeana seed meal Diet) had comparatively lower incidence of cost (N191.9/g) than those fed the control diet 1 (N514.0/g). Hence , the inclusion of Azanza garckeana in the feed of Clarias gariepinus to about 20% gave both better growth performance and cost effectiveness,this is recommended to fish farmers for sustainable yield and profit.

Keywords: Azanza garckeana, Cost benefit, Growth performance, Clarias juveniles.