MSc Program in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management

Abstract

Aquaculture is the fastest-growing food-producing sector and is perceived to have the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for aquatic food. The major bottlenecks of aquaculture are fish feeds, fish seeds, environmental pollution, and competition of land with other farming activities. This study was conducted for 120 days to evaluate the effect of cow dung and poultry manure on the growth performance of Nile tilapia (O. Niloticus), pond productivity, and water quality. The experiment was carried out in six ponds grouped into two treatments, cow dung (T1) poultry manure (T2), and controls each in duplicates. Fish weighing 7.31 ± 0.145 g and length 6.4± 0.12 cm were stocked into six pond of 20m2 surface area each at 2 fish m2 (40 fish per ponds). Nile tilapia in the poultry manure treatment showed significantly higher weight gain than those in the cow dung and control. Also the highest final mean weight (40.35±7.58 g), length (14.63±0.89), weight gain (WG) (33.15±7.9 g) and relative growth rate (RGR) (487.127±177. 08 g) were recorded in the treatment T2 while the least growth values were recorded in the control. One-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in mean body weight, length, weight gain, absolute growth rate, and relative growth rate of fish in pond experiments. The survival rates were not significantly different across the treatments. Generally, T2 (PM) showed significantly higher fish growth performance in case of FMW, WG, DGR and RGR than T1 (CD) in the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant difference in Electric conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), and Salinity between T1, T2, and control (P < 0.05), while DO and pH was a significant difference only between the treatment group and control, but not significant between T1 & T2. Moreover, there was no significant variation in ammonia and nitrite concentrations within the treatment and control. A higher number of phytoplankton and zooplankton were recorded in poultry manure followed by cow dung while less number of plankton was recorded in control. However, the variation was not statistically significant among the treatment. It can be concluded that locally available organic manure like cow dung and poultry manure is suitable for fish growth and pond productivity. Especially, poultry manure was preferable to cow dung as understood from the present finding.