Webinar "Prospects on selection of feed efficiency in aquaculture"
June 12 2018, 10:00 CET
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"This two-hour webinar presents the advances in the methods to improve feed efficiency by selective breeding in farmed fish, and demonstrates the impact of feed efficiency improvement on the profitability of aquaculture operations."
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Feed incurs one of the largest costs in aquaculture production, making the improvement of feed efficiency of great importance. Improved efficiency also means that more nutrients in the feed are transformed into fish tissues, reducing the nutrient load to the environment. Yet, selective breeding for feed efficiency is a challenge because the recording of feed intake on individual fish is very challenging under industrial-scale conditions.
We present the advances in improving feed efficiency by selective breeding. We show that feed efficiency can be improved directly by quantifying feed intake of individuals using the novel recording techniques. Additionally, feed efficiency can be improved by genetically changing underlying physiological traits that determine feed intake, such as body composition and metabolic maintenance costs. These indirect selection methods do not require recording of feed intake, and hence they are easy to implement in practice and are cost-efficient ways for feed efficiency improvement. Using economic calculations, we demonstrate the economic benefits of feed efficiency improvement for fish farms - feed efficiency is one of the most important fish trait to improve for more economically and environmentally sustainable aquaculture. Examples from gilthead seabream, European seabass, rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon are used to demonstrate the use of novel selection methods and economic benefits. The webinar is based on the results of the EU-project FISHBOOST - Improving European aquaculture by advancing selective breeding to the next level for the six main finfish species. |
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Program "Prospects on selection of feed efficiency in Aquaculture" - June 12, 2018
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“Genetic improvement of feed efficiency” - Antti Kause, LUKE
“Experience on direct and indirect selection for improved feed efficiency in fish” - Marc Vandeputte, INRA-IFREMER “Impact of selective breeding for feed efficiency on farm profitability” - Hans Komen/Kasper Janssen, WUR Panel Discussion “Industry-scale implementation of selection for feed efficiency and future directions” |
