Nutritive value of Leucaena leaf meal in pelleted feed for Nile tilapia

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the suitability of treated Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal as an ingredient for Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus Linn., feed. Nine experimental diets were formulated to contain 25%, 50% and 100% of the total dietary protein as plant protein using soaked (soaked in water at 30°C for 48 h), sundried (sundried for 2 days) and commercial Leucaena leaf meal, balanced by protein from fish meal. A control diet with fish meal as the only protein source was included. All diets were isonitrogenous (30% protein) except for diets containing 100% plant protein (21% protein). The 70-day feeding trial was conducted with duplicated treatments in 2-m 3 circular concrete tanks with recirculating water. There was a trend of reduced growth performance and feed utilization efficiency with increase in Leucaena leaf meal incorporation for all treatments. Generally, soaked leaf meal gave a significantly better growth response than sundried or commercial leaf meal. Mimosine present in the latter two treatments may have contributed to the poorer growth.