Evaluation of yield characteristics from short term farming practice of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

Abstract

Experimental farming of Litopenaeus vannamei was conducted at a lower stocking rate for two different culture durations in order to assess the variations in yield characteristics. Specific pathogen free (SPF) post-larvae of L. vannamei (PL 10) were stocked in six 0.08 ha ponds at a stocking rate of 32 nos. m-2. The shrimps were harvested after two culture durations viz., 65 and 75 days of culture (DOC). Longer duration of farming (75 DOC) showed significantly higher production (6 t ha-1), larger size (13.2±0.02 cm) and higher weight gain (18.94±0.08 g) at harvest than with the lower duration (65 DOC) farming which recorded a production of 4.3 t ha-1 with harvest size of 11.86±0.14 cm and weight gain of 14.28±0.11 g at harvest. However, specific growth rate, SGR (%) day-1 indicated that, as the culture duration increased the growth rate reduced. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was not significantly different among the treatments. It was slightly lesser than one for both the treatments which may be attributed to the influence of the productivity of the ponds. Partial economic returns for the two different culture durations was US $ 2.16 and 3.25 kg-1 for shrimps produced in 65 and 75 DOC respectively.