Use of Grain Sorghum as a Novel Carbohydrate Source in High-Value Aquatic Feed Market and Feasibility Trials with Tilapia and Shrimp
Project Summary:
Project: Use of Grain Sorghum as a Novel Carbohydrate Source in High-Value Aquatic Feed Market and Feasibility Trials with Tilapia and Shrimp
Project Sponsor: Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission
This project investigated the potential of sorghum as a novel carbohydrate source in tilapia and pacific whiteleg shrimp diets. The project further investigated process sustainability through grinding efficiency and energy inputs across particle sizes and through the effects of steam-addition during preconditioning.
The research focused on the following 4 primary objectives:
- Extrude high-quality floating and sinking feed for tilapia and shrimp, respectively, and determine the impact of processing parameters on energy use
- Determine the physical impact of particle size on floating and sinking feed quality
- Determine the impact of particle size of raw diets after processing into aquatic feed using extrusion on tilapia and shrimp through a growth study
- Determine the nutritional impact of sorghum inclusion in aquatic feed diets on tilapia and shrimp through a growth study
Key Findings:
- Grain sorghum can be successfully incorporated into both tilapia and shrimp feed.
- Particle size of sorghum in tilapia feed can impact growth performance. Medium-ground sorghum diets led to the highest growth rates in tilapia.
- Steam addition during shrimp feed processing can influence energy efficiency. Lower steam levels reduced overall energy consumption.
- Grain sorghum and wheat diets had comparable effects on shrimp growth. Neither grain source nor steam addition significantly impacted shrimp growth.
This research demonstrated the potential of grain sorghum as a sustainable and effective carbohydrate source in aquatic feed. Future studies can build upon these findings to optimize its use in the aquaculture industry.
