Evaluation of production performance and profitability of hybrid red tilapia and genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strains in the carbon/nitrogen controlled periphyton-based (C/N- CP) on-farm prawn culture system in Bangladesh

• GIFT tilapia grazed more and grew better than red tilapia.
• Periphyton abundance decreased over time due to increased grazing pressure by tilapias.
• GIFT tilapia showed overall higher production and economic return.

Performance of hybrid red tilapia (Mutant, Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis mossambicus) and GIFT tilapia strain (Oreochromis niloticus) in C/N-CP prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farming system was evaluated at the farmers' pond at Bailor union under Trishal upazilla of Mymensingh district, Bangladesh. The on-farm trial had two treatments: TR and TG (named according to the tilapia strains) with three replications. Six rectangular ponds of varying sizes (400–880 m2) were used for this experiment. Hybrid red and GIFT tilapia stains were stocked with prawn at the stocking densities of 1 tilapia fingerlings (either red or GIFT strain) and 3 prawn juveniles m-2 in both treatments. Bamboo side shoot were posted vertically as periphyton substrate. This resulted in an additional substrate surface area of 1067 m2 for periphyton development equaling 147% of the pond surface area. Considering the body weight of freshwater prawn only, feeding rates were 10% of body weight at the beginning of the study (up to 30 days), and feeding application was gradually reduced to 3% in the last month assuming 80% survival. The abundance of total benthos and periphyton as well as total periphytic biomass were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in TR than TG treatment and they were also differed significantly (P < 0.05) among different months with a decreasing trends (exception to some extent) over the experimental period. The individual harvesting weight, individual weight gain, specific growth rate, Food Conversion Ratio (FCR), survival (%), gross and net yields of prawn were similar in two treatments. In contrast, the GIFT tilapia strain showed a higher (P < 0.05) individual harvesting weight, individual weight gain, specific growth rate ((SGR, % bw d-1), survival, gross and net yields (1935 and 1825 kg ha-1, respectively) combined gross and net yields (2952 and 2784 kg ha-1, respectively), and economic return (3755 US$ with BCR 0.82) than the hybrid Red tilapia.