Seafood CRC: development of formulated diets for cultured abalone

Funded Activity Summary

It is estimated that 1000 tonnes of formulated feeds are used to achieve the current level of production. Feed is considered as the major variable cost (up to 30%) associated with abalone production (Mr Justin Fromm, personal communication), so minor improvements in feeds or feed efficiency may result in large improvements in productivity. There are currently four feed manufacturers supplying the abalone grow-out sector and each feed company typically offers one formulation of feed for the entire ~2.5 year production cycle of greenlip or hybrid abalone. It is common practice in other sectors of the livestock industry to use a range of different diet formulations throughout the production cycle to satisfy the requirements of animals of different life stages. It is also well established that in the wild abalone have at least two distinct feeding strategies as they develop with young cryptic abalone grazing on epiphytic organisms whilst older animals feed on macroalgae. Improvements in commercial feeds formulated for abalone, specifically for different life stages and/or water temperatures (seasonal/inter-annual/climate change), are likely to deliver improvement in weight gain per unit cost across an entire grow out period.

As a result of a recent R & D planning meeting held by AAGA, other industry participants, AS CRC and research providers, the AAGA perceive that the current commercial abalone feeds do not contain the required nutrient combinations to meet the genetic potential for growth. Australian abalone feed producers have based dietary formulations on information from previous FRDC funded projects. The information from the FRDC projects, including a range of ingredient nutrient availability and nutrient requirement data, resulted in the standard of Australian abalone feeds surpassing Japanese abalone feeds (considered as the benchmark at the time). AAGA have identified research in this area to be their highest priority within the AS CRC.

Objectives:
1. To detemine optimum protein and energy requirements for small greenlip and hybrid abalone at different temperatures
2. To detemine optimum protein and energy requirements for larger greenlip and hybrid abalone at different temperatures
3. To develop and test starter feeds and improved grow-out feeds for greenlip and hybrid abalone in commercial settings
4. To develop an on-farm grow-out trial research protocol manual.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 15-11-2010

End Date: 31-12-2013

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $218,931.70

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Aquaculture | Biology | Education | Husbandry | Nutrition | Physiology

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