Sorgo na alimentação de juvenis de pacu

Abstract

In recent years, the corn, the main energy food used in fish feed, has been suffering from supply and demand fluctuations with consequent increases in its price in the international market. Thus, many foods are being evaluated in order to minimize the impact on the final cost of production, especially sorghum, which has nutritional characteristics similar to corn, but with lower price. Furthermore, information on the use of food for native species is scarce, and so the aim of this study was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of nutrients and energy sorghum and productive performance, somatic indices and hematological parameters of pacu juvenile fed diets containing sorghum. To determine the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC%) were used 160 pacu with average total weight of 56.00 ± 8.04 g, distributed in eight cages (80 liters). Two diets were made: Reference and test (30% sorghum), both added 0.1% chromium III oxide. The collection of stool was held in conical bottom tanks (200 liters). Were determined ADC of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), gross energy (GE) and the chromium content in the feces and in the diets. Furthermore, it was quantified the tannin content, crude fiber (CF) and mineral matter (MM) in sorghum. For testing of productive performance were used 180 pacu with full weight average of 10.80 ± 0.77 g, distributed in 15 tanks (200 liters). The performance data presented in this study were submitted to analysis of variance. ACD sorghum by pacu were 78.52% for MS; 74.82% for PB; 94.36% to 77.24% and EE. No significant differences were observed (p > 0.05) for the performance variables, somatic indices and hematological parameters. Sorghum has ACD similar to corn and can fully replace this food energy in diets for pacu juveniles without providing negative changes in productive performance, somatic indices and hematological parameters. Moreover, the inclusion of sorghum in the diets of young pacu to reduce the cost of development and production.