APPLICATION OF rGH AS GROWTH SUPPLEMENT ON MILKFISH (Chanos chanos FORSKAL) CULTURE  

Agus Suriawan1,  M. Murdjani1, Sugeng Asmoro1 and Sarman Efendi1
 
 
1Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Center Situbondo
PO. BOX 5 Situbondo Jawa Timur 68351 Indonesia
 
bbapsitubondo@yahoo.com

One of efforts to increase milkfish production is adding a growth supplement in the feed. One of the materail for growth supplement is rGH or recombinant groth hormone. This study aimed to increase milkfish growth rate using rGH as food supplument.

Two ponds of 5,000 m2 was used for this study with two treatment namely: rGH treatment and control. Dosage of rGH was 10 mg per kg feed and was applied to milkfish every week. Feed and rGH was fed to milkfish at 4 % body weight and two times per day.

Result of this study showed that weight gain of treatment with rGH is higher than control. At rGH treatment, weight gain was 218,61 ± 10,23 gram and control was 174,36 ± 9,60 gram. However, length gain of rGH treatment was 28,83 ± 0,44 cm and control was 26,78 ± 0,45 cm.

During harvesting, rGH application can increase production compare to control. Survival rate at rGH treatment was 75.68 % and 77 % at control. Food conversion rate (FCR) were 1.51 and 1.62 for rGH treatment and control, respectively.

This study conclude that rGH supplement 10 mg per kg feed can increase growth, weight gain, biomass production and lowering FCR