There were 7 projects in the Economic Animal Production for Food Security and Safety Research including 1) Genetic parameter estimation and molecular marker for genetic improvement in Nile tilapia from biofloc system to organic aquaculture by selection 2) Efficacy of Garlic Extract Added Feed in Nile Tilapia Culture 3) Potential of Thai herbs and probiotics on growth and nonspecific immune response in organic Tilapia culture system 4) Development of synbiotics bioproducts affecting on growth performance, disease resistance, digestive enzyme activity and im?munological response in fry Nile tilapia 5) Production and Health Management of Tilapia for Prosperous and Sustainable Business 6) Egg quality improvement by using Spirulina platensis 7) Suitable use of fermented fish by-product and snail in diets for fish in aquaponics system to organic aquaculture. The second-year results were as follows; heritability was estimated for total weight at 2 -3 and 4 -5 months after hatching. Estimation was made on data from 71 and 66 full-sib families (2-3 and 3-4 months of age). The analysis of variance was performed using a mixed linear animal model and variance components were analyzed following an animal model using Restricted Maximum Likelihood procedure (REML) employing average information (AI) algorithm. Heritability estimates (h2) for growth related traits varied considerably with ages. At 2-3 months old, h2 for body weight (BW;0.02?0.06) were low. At 4-5 months old, h2 of BW (BW; 0.16 ? 0.04) were higher than those estimated at 2-3 months old. Response to selection (R), by different between least square mean of selected line and control line is 0.98 g./generation as 11.78 %. It was showed highly significant (p<0.01) and good trend by EBV selection.
The efficacy of garlic extract additive feed and other herbs in Nile Tilapia culture were carried out for 16 weeks. It was found that the total weight of fish in control group (C) were 51.6 kg, the ones of fish received feed with garlic extract garlic extract additive feed (T1) were 52.1 kg while the ones of fish received feed with garlic extract garlic and other herbs extract additive feed and other herbs (T2) were 62.3 kg. In sum, fish in T2 had 20.7% increase in production.
The supplementing synbiotics affected to increase fish weight, ADG, FCR, specific growth rate, the lysozyme activity in blood, the bactericidal efficacy of serum blood cells (NBT), trypsin, chymotrypsin, protease, and amylase enzymes in intestine and stomach of fry Nile tilapia. These activities were higher than the supplementing with prebiotics or probiotics alone. The development synbiotics bioproduct, probiotics B. subtilis was dried by mixing with Skim milk (10%) and freeze dried. After making the powder on days 0, 7, 14, 30 and 120 days, stored at 27 ? C, B. subtilis cell contents were 1.08 ? 109 CFU / g at initial day (day 0) and continue decreased when stored for 7, 14, 30 and 120 days, the viable cell count decreased to 1.06 ? 109, 8.50 ? 108, 1.46 ? 108 and 3.85 ? 107 CFU / g, respectively.
The effect of plant extracts (Phyllanthus emblica Allium ascalonicum and Sesbania grandiflora) and the effect of plant extracts (Nelumbo nucifera, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Zanthoxylum Limonella) incorporated with the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, carcass composition and non-specific immune of tilapia was investigated. The first trial, tilapia fingerlings (initial weight 53 g) were allocated into triplicate nylon net hapas and were fed one of four treatment diets: diet supplemented with vitamin C (control), diet supplemented with Phyllanthus emblica (MP), diet supplemented with Allium ascalonicum (HD) and diet supplemented with Sesbania grandiflora (DK) for 90 days. The results showed that fish fed diet of MP HD and VC significantly (p<0.05) enhanced growth performance (final weight, weight gain, average daily weight gain – ADG) compared with DK group. There were no significant differences on survival rate among groups fed with different diets. The fish meat protein content was significantly (p<0.05) lower in fish fed DK diet. The hematocrit and plasma protein levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) when fish fed with MP than those fed DK. However, serum lysozyme red blood cell and white blood cell levels were not influenced by the treatments. The second trial, Tilapia fingerlings (46.6 g) were allocated into triplicate nylon net cages and were fed one of four treatment diets: diet supplemented with vitamin C (CT, control diet), diet supplemented with Nelumbo nucifera 0.05% (NN), diet supplemented with Glycyrrhiza glabra 0.05% (GG) and diet supplemented with Zanthoxylum limonella 0.05% (ZL) for 90 days. The results showed that fish fed diet of NN significantly (p<0.05) enhanced growth performance (final weight, weight gain, average daily weight gain – ADG) compared with CT amd ZL groups. There were no significant differences on FCR and survival rate among groups fed with different diets. All experimental diets (NN GT ZL) significantly (p<0.05) increased protein content in fish compared to the control group (CT). The hematocrit levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) when fish fed with NN and GG than those fed ZL. Serum lysozyme and red blood cell were significantly higher (p<0.05) in fish fed GG compared with CT. However, plasma protein and white blood cell levels were not influenced by the treatments. The third trial, tilapia fingerlings (initial weight 47.5 g) were allocated into triplicate nylon net and were fed one of four treatment diets: diet supplemented with Nelumbo nucifera 0.05% (NN), diet supplemented with NN and L. acidophilus 0.2% (LB) NN and Saccharomyces cerevisiae 0.2% (YS) and NN and L. acidophilus 0.2% + S. cerevisiae 0.2% (LS) for 90 days. The results showed that fish fed diet SC significantly (p<0.05) enhanced growth performance (final weight, weight gain, average daily weight gain – ADG) compared with NN, while there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in growth parameters in the fish fed diets SC LA and LS. There were no significant differences on feed conversion ratio (FCR) and survival rate among groups fed with different diets. Fish fed diets LA and SC exhibited significant (p<0.05) higher protein in meat compared with NN. The hematocrit, serum lysozyme and red blood cell were significantly higher (p<0.05) when fish fed with SC than those fed NN. However, plasma protein and white blood cell levels were not influenced by the treatments. The results presented in the current study demonstrated that Phyllanthus emblica extract can supplement in diet replaced vitamin C without adverse effects on growth parameters, non-specific immune response and fish meat compositions of tilapia, and supplementation of NN and S. cerevisiae 0.2% (SC) enhanced growth performance of tilapia.
According to farm visits to collect the tilapia culture data which were then analyzed to generate the sustainable tilapia farming; This year, data was collected from Chiangmai, Chiangrai, Lamphun, Lampang, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, and Tak. It was found that most fish farmers do not adjust the culture techniques to enhance their productivity. Some set up the aeration; however, the application of them is still not effective. Fish farmers have faced fish death during a culture period, but the sick or moribund fish are not diagnosed. Some chemicals and antibiotics have been used to solve this problem. Some stop feeding until the fish death is over. There is no salt application for stress relief and no water exchange plan for fish culture in earthen ponds. Three major fish bacterial pathogens include Flavobacterium columnare, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish death usually occurs during season change from late summer to rainy season; March – July. In cases of fish stress, Trichodina may become pathogenic ectoparasite interfering with feeding and respiration of small fish. The massive deaths of cage cultured tilapia due to an improper reservoir management and the abrupt changes in weather as well as water quality were reported every year. Tilapia farmers' associations have been formally and informally set up in order to get the benefit from seed and commercial feed buying as well as product selling. There are still a room for Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) including hatchery, nursery, and on-farm culture because most farmers lack of the motivation to improve their farms due to the GAP fish product is not high.
Egg quality improvement by using Spirulina platensis was conducted in 320 Roman brown hens 17 weeks of ages. The laying hens were randomly assigned to 4 experimental groups (Completely Randomized Design; CRD), 4 replicates of 20 laying hens. Group 1, the chickens were fed control diet without Spirulina platensis (0%). Group 2 and 3 the chickens were fed the 0.10 and 0.15% Spirulina platensis diets respectively. Group 4, the chickens were fed commercial laying hen diet. The egg production performance and egg quality were observed for 12 weeks. The nutritional content in boiled whole egg, amino acid profile in boiled white egg, fatty acid profile in boiler egg yolk and antioxidant activity in raw egg yolk were observed at the end of the experimental period. The overall results of the 1-12 weeks showed that the feed intake was not different (P > 0.05). The egg production in control and the Spirulina platensis groups were lower than commercial group (P < 0.05). The feed conversion ratio of commercial group was not different from control group (P >0.05) but higher than the Spirulina platensis groups (P < 0.05). The egg weight, yolk index, egg shell thickness, strength and color and Hough unit of the experimental groups were not different (P > 0.05). The egg yolk color in the Spirulina platensis groups was higher than the control group but lower than the commercial group (P < 0.05). The moisture, crude protein, nitrogen free extract (NFE), crude fat, crude fibre, calcium and phosphorus of whole boiled egg were not different (P > 0.05). The raw egg yolk of the 0.10% Spirulina platensis group showed the DPPH radical-scavenging activity as 25.95% and was not different from control group (P > 0.05) but the using Spirulina platensis at 0.15% decreased the DPPH radical-scavenging activity to 6.49% (P < 0.05). The antioxidant activity was not found in the commercial diet group. The boiled egg yolk fatty acid profile in the control and 0.15% Spirulina platensis groups were not different (P > 0.05) excepted that the tricosylic acid was detected in S. platensis group, the mysristic acid of Spirulina platensis group was higher than control and the steric acid and docosahexaenoic acid in Spirulina platensis group was lower than control (P < 0.05). The boiled white egg amino acid profile in the control and 0.15% Spirulina platensis groups were not different (P > 0.05) excepted that the isoleucine and valine of the 0.15% Spirulina platensis group tended to be higher than control group (P = 0.098 and P = 0.091). Therefore, the 0.15% Spirulina platensis in safety laying hen diet improved egg yolk colour but was not similar to the commercial diet. The using of safety feed resulted in lower egg production than commercial feed. The 0.10% Spirulina platensis should be use for the egg yolk antioxidant activity purpose.
The appropriate fermented fish by product mixed with snail meat as a feed for snakehead fish in aquaponic recirculation systems for development into organic aquaculture was determined. Each experiment was conducted with 3 levels of a snail meat include 0, 25, 50% instead of fishmeal while control unit was fed instant pellet feed. The first experiment was conducted the size of snakehead from 3 inches to 6 inches within 3 months under stocking density at 100 fishes per square meter. The result was found that the control and the 50% snail meat had the highest weight gain at 101.0+2.14 g and 104.0+2.07 g. respectively but no difference level (p>0.05). while survival rate and average daily weight gain of control attained the highest at 65.32 percent and 1.10 grams per fish per day, respectively. The second experiment was conducted at 6 inches size until marketable size within 3 months under 50 fishes per square meter The result showed that control obtained the highest weight gain at 209.01+3.56 g and significant at 0.05 level (p<0.05) while the survival rate and average daily weight gain were 61.08+4.17 percent and 1.04+2.28 g per fish per day respectively. The water quality was suitable for the cultivation and growth of snakehead fish and no significant different while the yield of vegetables in the aquaponic system were no different (p>0.05). Remark the morning glory and celery were observed the highest than others. The results of this study show that the use of other protein sources to replace fishmeal in the formulation for snakehead fish farming can be used as a guideline for the development of other carnivorous fish.