Duckweed as an Alternative Protein Source in Aquaculture: Production Systems, Nutritional Characteristics, and Feeding Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/afnr.v4i2.2155Abstract
The growth of global aquaculture has led to an increasing demand for sustainable, nutritionally adequate, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional fishmeal-based aquafeeds. Fishmeal remains a valuable protein source; however, its supply is limited and cost and environmental impact are increasing. Therefore, the search for alternative feed ingredients is expanding. Duckweed (Lemnaceae) is a promising candidate because of its rapid growth, high protein content, amino acid profile, and ability to recover nutrients from wastewater. This narrative review integrates the existing knowledge on production systems, their nutritional profile, and presence of anti-nutritional factors, feed safety, economic viability, and uses in aquaculture. Literature published between 1990 and 2026 was obtained from major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, and Google Scholar, using keywords related to duckweed, aquaculture, fish nutrition, fishmeal replacement, and sustainable aquafeeds. Reviewed feeding trials indicate that dietary inclusion levels of 15-30% generally allow good growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and survival in several omnivorous and herbivorous fish species, especially Nile tilapia, common carp, and grass carp. Duckweed contains 15-45% crude protein with relatively balanced amino acid profile, but the nutritional composition varies among species and cultivation conditions. The main constraints are anti-nutritional compounds, variability in nutrient composition, heavy metal accumulation when cultivated in contaminated wastewater, drying costs, and regulatory challenges. Current evidence supports duckweed as partial replacement for conventional protein ingredients. Future research should focus on feed safety, production standardization, processing technologies, long-term feeding trials, and commercial-scale economic evaluation to wider adoption in sustainable aquaculture systems.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
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Journal of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
Wallaga University,
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Accepted 2026-08-19
Published 2026-08-31
