PEARL MILLET (Pennisetum americanum) GRAIN MEAL REPLACING CORN (Zea mays) MEAL IN PRATICAL DIETS FOR TAMBACU

(hybrid Colossoma macropomum X Piaractus mesopotamicus ) FINGERLING GROWTH Padua, D.M.C.*, Silva, P.C., Frana, A.F.S., Padua, J.T., Fernandes, C.M., Andrade, M.L., Lima, D.A.S. Departamento de Produo Animal - Universidade Federal de Gois - UFG Escola de Veterinria, Campus II Cx. P.131, CEP 74001 970, Goinia, GO - Brazil Research on formulation of feeds using pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) has been carried out to ease competition for energy source between humans and monogastrics and reduce feed cost. Certain pearl millet varieties are important cultures of grains in semi-arid areas as in the Indian subcontinent and in Africa, and about 26 million hectares are busy for this culture by virtue of the protein content to be superior to the of another grains, as corn, sorgun and wheat, the pearl millet has been used as human food under flour form in the making of breads and derived, getting to supply of 80 to 90% of the amount of calories consumed by millions 3,5 of people.
Specific growth rate, % 3

The effect of four levels of substitution (0, 33, 66 and 99 %) of corn meal by pearl millet grain meal in feeds on the growth of fingerling tambacu (hybrid of Piaractus mesopotamicus male X Colossoma macropomum female), was tested in two periods of evaluation following a split plot in time design (138 and 266 days after start feeding). Three hundred sixty fingerling of tambacu (3.680.52 g) were allotted in 12 ponds of 40 m2. Diets were fed twice a day, ad libitum. The water quality parameters were maintained adequate during the period of the experiment, excepted the temperature during the second period of evaluation (20.361.87 C morning and 23.982.31 C afternoon). The increasing level of pearl millet grain meal did not affected significantly (F test - P> 0.05) the growth and showed tendency to be better indicating good nutritional quality of the millet. The average performance were superior (F test - P< 0.01) in the first period (hottest days) indicating a negative effect of the temperature on the growth of tambacu during second period of evaluation.

2,5 2 1,5 1 0,5 0 0 33 66 99 Replacement of millet in feeds, % 6 5

Feed conversion

4 3 2 1 0 0 33 66 99 Replacement of millet in feeds, %

10 0 First First period

Secund period