PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RAW FULL-FAT SO YBEAN-MEAL ON FEEDING OF THE NILE TILAPIA FINGERLINGS (OREOCHROMIS-NILOTICUS)

This experiment was carried out in the Research Laboratory on Nutritio n of Aquatic Organisms, Aquaculture Center UNESP, FMVZ - Botucatu, SP, Brazil. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of raw full-fat soybea n meal on feeding in fingerlings of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis nilo ticus). The suitable level of consumption of raw full-fat soybean meal (RSM) was determined by means of productive performance. The experime ntal design was a Multivariate Profile Analyses, with four treatments (four replicates each one). Each isoproteic (26% CP) and isoenergetic (3000 Kcal ME/kg) diet received raw full-fat soybean meal at 6.0%, 12. 0% and 18.0%. A treatment without soybean meal was used as control. Fo rty eight fingerlings with similar size (mean Wt +/- SD: 6.47 +/- 0.64 g; and mean Lt +/- SD: 54.94 +/- 7.79 mm) at the beginning of the exp eriments were used. No significant difference (p > 0.05%) in weight ga in among the four treatments was found. However, the treatments with 1 2.0 and 18.0% RSM showed a reduction in the coefficient of digestibili ty in these treatments. This shows a deleterious effect of the raw ful l-fat soybean meal at these considered levels (12.0% and 18.0% RSM).