Fish meal replacement by plant meals in extruded feeds for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

The replacement of fish meal protein with soybean meal (SB) or protein concentrates made from narrow-leafed lupin (LP) or field peas (PP) was investigated in extruded feeds for Atlantic salmon. Salmon (47 g) were fed for 63 days on extruded feeds containing each of the plant meals to replace 25% and 33% of the fish meal protein and performance compared against a nutritionally balanced control and a commercial salmon feed formulation (extruded under the same conditions). There were no significant differences in weight gain between the control and feeds containing the plant proteins. The commercial leed produced significantly higher weight gain than the control feed and LP at both replacement. levels. Feed consumption was significantly higher for LP at 33%, but there were no other significant differences between the other feeds. Feed efficiency ratio (FER) and productive protein value (PPV) were highest for PP and SE and not affected by inclusion level, whereas they were significantly lower for LP at 33% inclusion. The weight gain and feed efficiency ratio data showed that soybean meal and pea protein concentrate had the best potential for replacing at least 33% of the fish meal protein in extruded salmon feeds and that lupin protein concentrate was less well utilised at the higher inclusion level. These results support the use of processed plant meals as important replacement protein sources for fish meal in extruded feeds for Atlantic salmon. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.