THE EFFECTS OF PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF FISH MEAL BY PEAS (Pisum sativum) AND TOMATO POMACE BY- PRODUCT AS NON- CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS IN DIETS FED TO NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus) JUVENILE.

The current general economic and food crises have generated an unsettled future for food and feed production and prices in general . Increasing demand , prices and fluctuations in supply in world markets for fish meal , fish oil, soybean meal and maize emphasize the need to reduce the dependence of the fish feed industry on these ingredients by increasing choices among a wider range of raw materials .The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of partial replacement three different levels (25%, 50% and 75%) of the crude protein as fish meal (FM ) protein in a reference (control) diet by peas waste protein ( PW ) and Tomato pomace (TP) protein  as plant protein sources incorporated into the balanced diets on growth performance, feed utilization,body composition and economic efficiency of sex-reversal juvenile male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus),  for 14 weeks experimental period . Groups of experimental fish (initial average weight 2.99 ±0.48g) were fed one of 7 isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) and isocaloric (4200 kcal Gross energy /kg dry matter).Test diets, with two replicates ( 20 fish / aquarium). The present results showed that  replacement of FM by Pw and TP  did not significantly affect difference  for all growth performance ( BW, BL, ADG,SR,SGR , K ), feed utilization (FI,FCR ,FE , PER , PPV , ER, EU.) between feeding diet control (D1) and the other six diets. Also economic efficiency showed that the reduction of feed costs was easily observed for the feed costs per Kg weight gain which decreased with increasing incorporation levels of PW and TP. This study concluded that partial replacement of fish meal protein with peas waste protein or tomato pomace protein as plant protein sources in tilapia diets resulted in better growth and feed performance . From the all aforementioned results, it could be detected that PW or TP could be utilized by Nile tilapia safely and efficiently as alternative protein instead of 50% of FM without adverse effects on the growth performance of Nile tilapia. In addition , these plant protein sources are locally available at much lower prices than imported fish meal.