Project Number: 6402-31630-001-03
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Apr 01, 2007
End Date: Mar 31, 2012

Objective:
Develop feeds and feeding practices for optimal nutrition, increased production, and improved water quality of pond-raised catfish; Increase the reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of catfish fry production through the use of new and improved technologies; Apply engineering approaches to design new or modified live aquatic animal harvesting equipment; Increase the reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of catfish production through the use of new and improved culture system technologies.

Approach:
All research conducted under this agreement addresses components of the USDA-ARS action plan for National Program 106-Aquaculture. Practical, production-related problems facing the farm-raised catfish industry in the southeastern United States will be addressed through a multidisciplinary approach focused on improving the efficiency of traditional cultural practices and developing new technologies to address inefficiencies associated with traditional pond culture technologies. Research projects will be conducted in the field using pond research facilities at the National Warmwater Aquaculture Center, Stoneville, Mississippi. Research will address the following broad subject areas: fish nutrition and feeding, nursery pond management, harvesting technologies, development of alternative culture systems, and managing the environmental impacts of pond aquaculture.