Incorporation of Fermented Cassava Leaf Flour into Commercial Feed to Enhance the Growth of Tilapia Fry (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

The success of cultivation is influenced by several factors, one of which is feed. This research was conducted to enhance the quality of feed and evaluate the benefits of incorporating fermented cassava leaf flour into feed on the growth and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fry. The research design used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Data analysis involved analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's test. Three treatment levels and a control were applied in the research. A: Incorporating 15% fermented cassava leaf flour, B: Incorporating 25% fermented cassava leaf flour, C: Incorporating 35% fermented cassava leaf flour, D: Using 100% commercial feed. The study indicated that the inclusion of fermented cassava leaf flour in the feed significantly affected absolute weight growth (p<0.05). The optimal treatment was observed with the incorporation of 15% fermented cassava leaf flour in treatment A, where the average weight of tilapia seeds reached 3.49 g. The highest absolute length growth was recorded at the optimal treatment dose in treatment A, with a value of 2.05 cm in comparison to the other treatments. The survival rate results demonstrated that the highest value of 83% was achieved with the best treatment of 15% fermented cassava leaf flour. The water quality in the rearing media remains within the appropriate range for tilapia cultivation.