Substitution of sweet potato flour and corn starch to the growth, survival rate, feed conversion ratio and body chemical composition of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

For decades, the primary source of carbohydrates for vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) relied on the use of the more expensive corn starch. The combination of corn starch with sweet potato flour is expected to reduce the feed cost to a more affordable cost for the fish farmers. This study aimed to identify the most optimum substitution level between corn starch and sweet potato in the vannamei shrimp feed formulation. This study employed a completely randomized design with five formulations and three replications. The observed treatments were treatment A: 100% sweet potato flour and 0% corn starch, treatment B: 75% sweet potato flour and 25% corn starch, treatment C: 50% sweet potato flour and 50% corn starch, treatment D: 25% sweet potato and 75% corn starch, treatment E: 0% sweet potato flour and 100% corn starch. The results indicated that the combination of 50% sweet potato flour with 50% corn starch was the optimum treatment and the best body chemical composition, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were obtained. This study provides a scientific recommendation to the feed industry of vannamei shrimp and therefore, and the aim is to make the cost for the feed less expensive and affordable to the farmers.