COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SNAIL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS USING CROPS AS COVER

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to comparatively study different snail production systems using crops as cover. The systems evaluated were open and screened paddocks in comparison with the conventional paddock. In the open and screened paddocks, four different crops (Pueraria phaseoloides, Centrosema mole, Calapogonium mucunoides and Manihot esculenta) were cultivated to simulate the natural environment of the snails. The snails were allowed to live on the crops as applicable in the wild for the first 6 weeks after which concentrate was introduced for another six weeks while conventional feeding materials like pawpaw leaves, fruits and water leaf were utilized in the conventional paddock. A total number of three hundred and twenty (320) apparently healthy Archachatina marginata with liveweight between 50 to 60 g were used in the study which was laid out in a 2 X 4 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design with four replicates. Data collected on growth, reproduction, environmental temperature and relative humidity were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using GenStat version 12.0 statistical software. Significant level was taken at P < 0.05.