Effect of feeding Moringa to Oreochlomis Shiranus in semi-intensive systems

Aqua-feed production is currently one of the fastest expanding agricultural industries of the world with annual growth rates in excess of 30% per year. Feed is very important in cultured fish in captivity as nothing is more important than sound nutrition and adequate feeding (FAO, 2014). This is further stressed by the fact that feed represents about 40 - 60% of total production cost in aquaculture (Fagbenro and Davies, 2003). Management, environmental factors and fish size all have an effect on dietary nutrient level for optimum performance. If feed is not consumed by the fish or if the fish are unable to utilize the feed because of some nutrient deficiency, then there will be no growth (Kang’ombe, 2011). With the ever increasing demand for fish and fish products both locally and on the world market, aquaculture farmers are faced with the challenge to find means to increase fish productivity. In the quest to meet this requirement the attention of farmers has turned to plant nutrient sources of which one of the promising candidate locally is moringa hence the need for this research.