Production of Channel Catfish in Anhui Using the ASA 80:20 Pond Model and an All-Plant Protein, Soymeal-Based Aquafeed

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Category: Aquaculture

Region: Northeast Asia

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A feeding demonstration trial was conducted at the Jiaguanghu Fish Farm in Huainan City, Anhui Province, to demonstrate fingerling to market growth performance of channel catfish using the ASA 80:20 pond production model and soy-based feed. This was the second year of a two-year trial at the Jiaguanghu farm that began in 2000 with a catfish fry to fingerling pond trial. In the 2001 trial, catfish fingerlings were stocked in three ponds of size 3.0-mu each at a density of 600 channel catfish and 100 silver carp fingerlings per mu. Catfish were fed a 32/6 extruded, floating pellet feed formulated as an all-plant protein ration, with soybean meal as the primary protein source. Channel catfish grew from 59 g to an average weight of 672 g per fish in 156 days of feeding. Gross production of channel catfish and silver carp averaged 402 kg/mu and 77 kg/mu, respectively. Average survival rates for channel catfish and silver carp were 99.7% and 98.5%. Channel catfish FCR with the soymeal-based feeds averaged 1.44:1. Average net economic return was RMB 1,633/mu. Return on investment (ROI) averaged 35.5%. The ASA 80:20 technology and extruded, soy-based feeds simplified production management and yielded better fish performance and improved water quality, and required less labor, than the farm’s traditional practices. Harvested catfish were of uniform size, and had good body shape and minimal fat deposition. No off-flavor was experienced in fish from the three trial ponds. Local farmers visited throughout the trial to monitor progress and expressed interest in adopting the technology and feed based on their observations of catfish performance.