Fish meal replacement by Cirina butyrospermi caterpillar's meal in practical diets for Clarias gariepinus fingerlings

Fifty‐six days feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of Cirina butyrospermi caterpillar meal (CBM) as protein source in replacement of fish meal (FM) for Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. Six hundred African catfish (initial mean weight = 2.42 ± 0.01 g) were fed with four approximate isonitrogenous (48.97% crude protein), isolipidic (15.85% crude lipid) and isocaloric (21.10 kJg^?1) formulated diets, in which CBM progressively replaced FM at 0 (D1), 50 (D2), 75 (D3), 100% (D4) levels. At the end of the trial period, the best growth performance and nutritional utilization were observed in the group of fish fed with D2 and was not significantly different from those fed with D1 (the control diet). The survival rates, which ranged from 85.33% to 90.33%, were not significantly different among fish from the four diet treatments. The proximate whole‐body composition of C. gariepinus fingerlings fed the different diets showed similar moisture and protein contents. However, in contrary to ash which decreased, whole‐body lipid increased significantly when fish fed with diet containing CBM inclusion superior or equal to 75% (D3 and D4). The higher gross profit was obtained with D2 (16.73$), while the lowest was observed with D4 (10.16$). This study demonstrates that 50% of fish meal can successfully be replaced with CBM in C. gariepinus fingerlings diet without a negative impact on growth or feed utilization. This will yield a cheaper feeding for profitable production of African catfish fingerlings.     

Preliminary use of cashew kernel oil in Clarias gariepinus fingerlings diet: comparison with fish oil and palm oil

International Aquatic Research - The present study was performed to investigate the effect of fish oil (FO), palm oil (PO), and cashew kernel oil (CKO) as the dietary lipid sources on the growth...     

A transfer-function method for analysing breakthrough data in the time domain of the transport process

A transfer‐function method is proposed to determine transport parameters from solute breakthrough data. The method is based on the assumptions that a linear process governs the transport of solute through soil and that the soil is homogeneous. It needs breakthrough data at two different vertical locations from a pulse input of solute to the soil. The method predicts the response by convoluting the input with the transfer function in the time domain. Solute breakthrough data were measured in unsaturated soil columns by time‐domain reflectometry (TDR). An experimental soil column was placed over a supporting column filled with sandy soil. A constant hanging water table, maintained in the lower column, created suction in the upper column and maintained unsaturated conditions. A solution of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) was spread over the soil in the upper column during steady flow of water in the column. Resident concentrations of solute in terms of electrical conductivity were measured at two depths by TDR sensors. We analysed breakthrough curves of CaCl₂ in 81 experiments to determine the transport parameters in coarse sand, sandy loam soil and clay loam soil by the transfer‐function method. The transport parameters obtained were compared with those determined by the widely used deterministic equilibrium model of the CXTFIT program. The transfer‐function method provided a better fit between the measured and estimated breakthrough curves in almost all cases and resulted in stable values of the parameters. The method is robust against small errors in measurements. It is a mathematically sound and efficient method for analysing breakthrough data.     

Correction to: Associated effects of shading on the behavior,growth, and survival of Stichopus cf. horrens juveniles

Aquaculture International -     

Do water dynamics and land use in riparian areas change the spatial pattern of physical–mechanical properties of a Cambisol?

Precision Agriculture - Changes in land use in riverside ecosystems added to the flood and ebb regimes of rivers modify the spatial variability of the physical–mechanical attributes of soil,...