Evaluation of Multi Type Mineral Mixture Additive in Fish Feed and Its Efficacy Thereof Under Varied Agro-climatic Conditions of Punjab, India
Rajinder Kaur
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Gulgul Singh
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Sahil Sahil
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Prabjeet Singh *
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mineral nutrition plays an important role in supporting fish growth, feed utilisation, health, and flesh quality in aquaculture. However, the comparative effectiveness of fish-specific and livestock mineral mixtures in carp feed under different agro-climatic conditions of Punjab has not been adequately evaluated. Therefore, this study assessed the effects of these mineral supplements on growth performance, production, flesh composition, and economic returns in pond-based carp culture. A 120-day field experiment was conducted at nine pond sites across Mohali/SAS Nagar, Tarn Taran, and Barnala districts of Punjab to evaluate the efficacy of mineral-mixture supplementation in carp feed under varied agro-climatic conditions. Three dietary treatments were assessed: the farmers’ control diet (T1), the control diet supplemented with 1.5 per cent fish-specific mineral mixture (T2), and the control diet supplemented with 1.5 per cent livestock mineral mixture (T3). Growth performance, feed utilisation, water quality, fish production, flesh proximate composition, and economic returns were evaluated. Water-quality variables remained within the reported suitable range for carp culture. Mineral-supplemented treatments showed improved growth and feed-use performance compared with the control, with T2 recording the highest average length gain (11.00±0.38 cm), net weight gain (376.00±16.41 g), and total production (23.1567±2.76 quintals per acre), together with the lowest feed conversion ratio (1.51±1.43). Proximate analysis showed the highest protein content (35.50±0.62%) and ash content (14.56±0.40%) in T2, while moisture and fat contents did not differ significantly among treatments. T2 also recorded the highest total return and net profit. Within the conditions of this trial, supplementation with a 1.5 per cent fish-specific mineral mixture was associated with improved carp growth, production, flesh composition, and farm-level economic performance compared with the control and livestock-mineral-mixture treatments.
Keywords: Aquaculture, carp culture, feed conversion ratio, fish-specific mineral mixture, flesh composition, growth performance, mineral supplementation