https://ijojournals.com/index.php/ar <p>The scope of <strong> IJO - International Journal of Agriculture and Research&nbsp;</strong> <strong>( E:ISSN 2814-189X ) (P.ISSN: 1595-9295)</strong>&nbsp;not limited to the following subject areas: Agronomy, Entomology, Horticulture, Plant pathology, Plant Science, Fertilizers and pesticides, Genetic Engineering &amp; plant breeding, Animal scienceVeterinary Science, Aquaculture/Fisheries, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural machinery, Post Harvest and Quality, Agricultural development, Agricultural Economics, Rural development, Sustainable Agriculture, Organic agriculture, Soil Conservation, Soil Science, Rainwater harvesting and crop water management, Crop Genetics &amp; Breeding, Tillage &amp; Cultivation Agricultural products – Raw Materials, Foods, Fibers, Fuels, Irrigation, Soil &amp; Fertilization</p> en-US <p>Author(s) and co-author(s)&nbsp;jointly&nbsp;and severally represent and warrant that the Article is original with the author(s) and does not infringe any&nbsp;copyright or violate any other right of any third parties and that the Article has not been published&nbsp;elsewhere.&nbsp;Author(s) agree to the terms that the <strong>IJO Journal</strong> will have the full right to remove the published article on any misconduct found in the published article.</p> info@ijojournals.com (Rahul Khan) editor@ijojournals.com (Aasik Hussain) Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:02:19 +0000 OJS 3.1.1.4 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 https://ijojournals.com/index.php/ar/article/view/1343 <p>Feed cost and growth performance are the two most decisive factors in the profitability of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) production, given that feed accounts for 60–70% of total operating costs. This study compared the cost of formulating 8.34 kg of three locally compounded 45% crude protein diets one containing a commercial enzyme (Maxigrain®), one containing a commercial probiotic (Biogut® Aqua), and one without either additive against the cost of an equivalent quantity of a commercial feed (Blue Crown®), and evaluated the growth performance and feed utilisation of C. gariepinus fingerlings fed the four diets over sixteen weeks. Formulating the enzyme diet (T1), probiotic diet (T2) and additive-free diet (T4) cost ₦24,275, ₦24,345 and ₦24,175 respectively, roughly 19–24% less than the ₦30,190 cost of an equivalent amount of Blue Crown® (T3). Fish fed the enzyme diet (T1) achieved the highest final weight (35.73 g) and weight gain (32.93 g), followed by the probiotic diet (T2) (31.69 g; 29.46 g); both outperformed the commercial feed (T3), which produced the lowest final weight (14.27 g) and weight gain (11.87 g). The probiotic diet (T2) produced the best specific growth rate (2.61%/day) and the most favourable feed conversion ratio (0.43) and feed conversion efficiency (234.58). These results indicate that locally formulated diets supplemented with enzyme or probiotic additives were both cheaper to produce and more effective in promoting growth than the commercial feed evaluated, supporting their adoption as cost-effective alternatives for small- and medium-scale catfish farmers.</p> ABUTU Isreal, ONIMISI, Meriyamoh Mero, ADEOYE, Ajibade Moses Anderson ##submission.copyrightStatement## http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://ijojournals.com/index.php/ar/article/view/1343 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000