The latest issue of Biomin\'s Aquaculture Science & Solutions magazine features two reports; the first \"Fish Meal Reduction in Shrimp Feed\" presents information demonstrating that phytogenic feed additives can help replace costly fishmeal in shrimp feed while achieving desired cost and performance goals. The following is an excerpt from the article:
A recent trial demonstrates that it is possible to reduce expensive fish meal levels in shrimp feeds without compromising growth performance or feed efficiency. Five diets containing 40.0% crude protein and 8.5% lipid were formulated and fed to white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei , for eight weeks. Three levels of fish meal as a marine-derived protein were used; 25% (FM25), 22% (FM22) and 19% (FM19). The lower FM feeds substituted soybean meal and peanut meal to reach similar crude protein levels. Digestarom. P.E.P. MGE, a phytogenic feed additive, was supplemented to the reduced fish meal diets.
Survival in all treatments was above 96%. As expected, FM25 showed the best growth performance in terms of final weight, protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and standard growth rate (SGR). Lower fish meal content reduced performance in general.
However, the addition of Digestarom. P.E.P. MGE improved all these parameters. For example, in the 19% fishmeal group, improvements of approximately 10% were observed in final weight, PER and FCR, and a 3% increase in SGR was achieved when Digestarom. P.E.P. MGE was included in diets.
The second article \"New Research on the Mycotoxin Threat to Yellow Catfish\" highlights results from a study showing the potential harm and way to protect yellow catfish from aflatoxins. New data reveals that other mycotoxins also pose a threat.
