Acronym NA
Category
Aquaculture
Title Selection for improved feed efficiency in Atlantic salmon Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator Bjarne Gjerde Coordinator email bjarne.gjerde@nmbu.no
Coordinator institution
NA
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2016 End year 2020 Funding (€) € 326,450 Website https://prosjektbanken.forskningsradet.no/project/FORISS/256325?Kilde=FORISS&distribution=Ar&chart=bar&calcType=funding&Sprak=no&sortBy=date&sortOrder=desc&resultCount=30&offset=210&ProgAkt.3=HAVBRUK2-Stort+program+for+havbruksforskning Summary In production of Atlantic salmon feed is the most important cost item with 50% of the total cost. Improved feed efficiency (gain/feed) will reduce feed costs, increase resource efficiency of feed ingredients and reduce nutrient effluent to the environment. This is of great importance for the future growth and sustainability of Atlantic salmon aquaculture, since marine sources of protein in the salmon feed represent a limited resource. Direct selection for improved feed efficiency is not possible due to the lack of technology to obtain individual feed intake records for a large number of fish. Today genetic improvement of feed efficiency is obtained through selection for traits (e.g. growth rate, filet fat) correlated to feed efficiency. However, results from livestock species indicate that such a strategy utilize a relatively small fraction of the genetic variation in feed efficiency. This project will investigate to what degree feed efficiency can be improved through indirect selection for traits possibly correlated to feed efficiency (growth, body fat, digestibility of nutrients, energy loss during feed deprivation). We will also study the effect of two diets with different protein/energy ratios on growth and body composition on feed efficiency. In addition, we will investigate if individual fish can grow well in separate small tanks (500 L) and if we can obtain reliable feed intake records for these animals; and if so, conduct such a study with a limited number of fish to obtain a first gross estimate of the magnitude of genetic variation in feed efficiency. This could facilitate obtaining individual feed intake and thus feed efficiency records for a large numbers of fish, which not only could facilitate direct selection for improved feed efficiency, but also pave the way for marker-assisted and genomic selection for increased feed efficiency.
Keywords
Fish;
Salmon;
Growth rate;
Feed composition;
Marine Region
76
Not associated to marine areas
0
Marine Region Map
