INTRODUCTION

Indian fisheries and aquaculture is an important sector of food production, providing nutritional security, con- tributing to the agricultural exports and engaging about fourteen million people in different activities. Constitut- ing about 4.4% of the global fish production, the sector contributes to 1.1% of the GDP and 4.7% of the agri- cultural GDP. The general approach adopted to reduce cost has been to develop low-cost diets by replacing expensive animal protein sources such as fish meal with relatively cheaper plant protein sources (Keembiyhetty and De Silva, 1993, Pankaj Kumar, 2013).

Linseed (also known as common flax or linseed), Linum usitatissimum which belong to family Linaceae

ARTICLE INFORMATION:

*Corresponding Author Received 15th April, 2015

Accepted after revision 30th June, 2015 BBRC Print ISSN: 0974-6455

Online ISSN: 2321-4007 NAAS Journal Score : 3.48

©A Society of Science and Nature Publication, 2015. All rights reserved.

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(found in Asia) is popular for its fibres quality as well as for its oil-rich seed. With this it is extremely rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Nutritionally flaxseed offer excel- lent sources of nutrients and energy. Economically flaxseed offers a consistent, dependable and afford- able supply of ingredients from year to year. Linseed cake is also reported to be very good manure for paddy and animal feed (Sediqi, 2012). World trade in oilseeds, vegetable oils and protein meals has sharply increased in the preceding two decades largely the result of rising worldwide incomes, larger populations and food safety concerns (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2004). Present study is an effort to evaluate the nutritional changes by giving flax seed supplementary meal on Labeo rohita.

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Kiran Billore and Vidhi Joshi

MATERIAL AND METHODS

EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL

Fingerlings of Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita were pro- cured from Fish Seed Production Centre, Sundrel, Mad- hya Pradesh

EXPERIMENTAL UNITS

Uniform sized rectangular aquarium tank 150l capacity were used as experimental units throughout the experi- ment for all the trials. The tanks were covered with per- forated cover. The tanks were initially washed and filled with potassium permanganate solution (4 mg l-1) that was left overnight Fifteen fishes of uniform size were kept in each tank. Fifteen fishes of uniform size were kept in each tank. The experimental conditions were kept same throughout the study. The body weight was

measured at intervals of 10th day and at 30th days to assess the growth. The fishes were starved overnight before taking the bodyweight.

FORMULATION AND PREPARATION OF EXPERIMENTAL DIETS

Ingredients of interest such as flaxseed, wheat bran, rice bran, corn flour, oil mix (sunflower oil + cod liver oil), vitamin and mineral mixture (PREMIX PLUS), and vita- min C were taken for feed formulation (Table 1). Four diets, one control diet and other Diet A (10% flax seed), Diet B (30% flax seed), Diet C (50% flax seed) were pre- pared respectively.

Growth performance of fingerlings was evaluated in terms of specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), weight gain % (WG) and individual feed intake based on the following standard formulae:

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The data were statistically analyzed by statistical pack- age SPSS version 16. Comparison between two treat- ments was made using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Comparison among all the treatment was done by one way ANOVA. Comparisons were made at the 5% probability levels.

Kiran Billore and Vidhi Joshi

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the present study the fingerlings of the Labeo rohita were fed with 10%,30% and 50% flax seed meal out of which 30% flax seed meal showed the best growth performance. This data was also mentioned by Bharathi et al., 2013).

Feed input is the single largest operational cost in majority of aquaculture practices (De Silve, 1985; Dey, 2008). The significant findings of( De Silve and Perera,

1984) on the existence of rhthmicity in the digestibility of protein have opened up new ways of reducing feed cost. De Silve (1985) conclusively proved the existence of daily variations in dry matter and protein digestibility and opined that feeding fish everyday with the same level of protein is not economical.

Based on this theory this experiment was conducted to test the applicability of flax seed meal 10%, 30% and 50% scheduled respectively Labeo rohita f ngerlings with alternate feeding of control diet which excludes flax seeds in its composition. In present research there was significant difference in WG% and SGR% Among all the treatments, equally effective and highest WG% and SGR% was observed in treatment fed was (T2) that include 30% flax seed meal. However, the lowest WG% and SGR% was observed in treatment fed was (T1) that include 10% flax seed meal. The better FCE was found in group fed (T2) that include 30% flax seed showed better values when compared to control and (T1,T3) that include 10% and 50% flax seeds, respectively, fed groups. The results showed that rohu fingerlings with the diet containing 10%, and 30% flax seeds achieved the best FCR and FCE, respectively. While in 50% flax seed meal, FCR values obtained were not satisfactory

CONCLUSION

Hence, it was found that the low cost feed ingredients showed encouraging results. Similar findings for Labeo rohita were also reported by some scientists (Abid and Ahmad 2009, and Hussain et al., 2011), as they con- cluded that alternative cheaper protein sources can be

Kiran Billore and Vidhi Joshi

efficiently used in making cost effective aqua feeds. This may prove more economic in aquaculture.

REFERENCES

Abid M. and Ahmed M. S. (2009). Growth response of Labeo rohita f ngerling fed with different feeding regimes under intensive rearing. J.Animal & Plant Sci., 19(1).

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (2004). Overview: World oil seed sector and Canadian marketing opportunities 17(9).

Bharthi P., Chittem and Kunda S. K. (2012). Effect of Omega-3 fatty acid incorporated diets on growth survivality and muscle composition in fingerlings of Labeo rohita . International Jour- nal of Engineering Science and Technology, 4(12).

De Silva S. S. (1992). Fish nutrition research for semi-intensive culture systems in Asia. Asian fisheries science (5): 129-144.

De Silva S. S. (1985). Performance of Oreochromis nilotica fry maintained on mixed feeding schedule of differing protein content Aquacult.Fisher.Manage.,16 : 331-340.

De Silva S. S. and Perera M. K. (1984). Digestability in Sarotherodon niloticus fry : effect of dietary protein level and salinity with further observations on variability in daily diges- tability. Aquacult. Fisher. Manage 22: 397- 403.

Dey M. M. (2008). Stratigies and options for increasing and sustaining fisheries and aquaculture production to benefit poorer households in Asia (1823) World Fish.

Hussain S. M., Afzal M., Javid A., Khichi A. A. T., Hussain M. and Raza A. S. (2011). Apparent digestibility of fish meal, blood meal and meat meal for Labeo rohita f ingerlings. The journal of animal and plant sciences 21(2):807-811.

Keembiyhetty C. N. and De Silva S. S. (1993). Performance of juvenile (L) reared on diets containing cowpea, Vigna cating and blackgram, Phaseolus seed. Aquaculture, 112:207-215.

Sediqi M. N. (2012). Adaptability of oilseed species at high altitudes of clarado and technology transfer to Afganisthan (Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University).