Author(s): Tania Islam, KM Shakil Rana and MA Salam

Abstract: Effectiveness of young sprouted wheatgrass powder over fishmeal for stinging catfish fry as an alternative animal protein source was assessed by this experiment. Wheat grain was sorted, washed and soaked overnight, kept in cotton bag for 24 hours darkness, sprouted for eight days on sand, cut and blanched before drying and made powder. Test diets (T₁, T₂, T₃, T₄ and T₅) were formulated replacing fish meal with wheatgrass powder at 100, 75, 50, 25 and 0%, respectively. A sixty days trial was conducted with three replications each at a density of 10 fish/20 liter water in plastic tanks. Survival rate was 100% in all the treatments except T₂ (95%). Whole fish protein was significantly higher in T₂ (17.04±0.98%) than T₅ (15.17±0.9%). Significantly higher fish production (1183.67 kg/ha), SGR (0.77 %/day) and lower FCR (7.18), feed cost (37.82 TK/kg) of T₁ signifying wheatgrass powder as a potential substitute of fish meal.

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