Thesis Abstract

Aquaculture is an important sector for augmenting fish production to meet the rising demand. However, high cost of commercial fish feeds is a major constraint. This study aims to develop low-cost fish feed formulations utilizing locally available agricultural byproducts as a substitute for costly fishmeal. Different agricultural byproducts like rice bran, wheat bran, groundnut cake, etc. were evaluated for their nutritional composition. Least-cost feed formulations were developed incorporating these byproducts along with other ingredients. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of major carp species fed with the developed feeds. The results showed potential for developing cost-effective fish feeds using agricultural byproducts.

Thesis Overview