Replacement of Fish Meal with Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal (MOLM) and its Effect on Growth Performance and Nutrient Digestibility in Labeo rohita Fingerlings

A 70-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of MOLM on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in L. rohita fingerlings. MOLM was added in the diet by replacing fish meal at the levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%. Triplicate tanks were used for each treatment having 15 fingerlings. These fingerlings fed at the rate of 5% of live wet weight. Chromic oxide as an inert marker was also added in the diets. Feces from each tank were collected twice a day to estimate the nutrient digestibility parameters. The maximum weight gain (304%) and minimum FCR (1.33) values were noted at 10% replacing level for above mentioned diet showed that fish was in more healthy condition as compared to control (0% MOLM) and other test diets. Digestibility coefficients for MOLM based diet at 10% replacement level of fish meal, increased 13.98%, 14.29% and 10.52% for crude fat, crude protein and supposed gross energy when compared to control diet, respectively. The next higher growth performance and nutrient digestibility values were observed at 20% replacement level based diet. It was concluded that the 10% replacement level of fish meal with MOLM is optimum which release adequate amount of chelated nutrients for maximum growth performance of L. rohita fingerlings.