The four-year study included extensive laboratory analysis before the experimental diets were fed to fish in a commercial setting. Both experimental diets contain less crude protein on an as-fed basis than the standard fish meal diet. That was done intentionally, Fornshell said.
Researchers based the experimental diets to provide what the fish needed and nothing more. Protein is the most expensive ingredient in feed. Even though some of the alternative ingredients in the experimental diets were nearly as expensive as fish meal, using less created cost savings that made the alternate diets competitive with the standard diet.
Researchers also developed a spreadsheet that producers and feed manufacturers can use to evaluate whether alternate ingredients are cost effective at market rates. Fornshell hasn’t updated his figures since corn and soybean prices began falling in early July, but the alternatives were cost-effective in the spring when commodity prices were higher.
Although the experimental diets are considered open formulas, meaning any feed manufacturer can use them, Fornshell expects adoption of the alternatives to be slow. Livestock producers are loathe to change diets they know are working and fish producers are no different.
But, if the price of fish meal or an alternate ingredient changes dramatically, both producers and feed manufacturers have the information to begin using the experimental diets immediately.
“It’s up to the feed manufacturers now,” Fornshell said. “They have the formulas and they are on top of commodity prices. If they get a request from a customer or if they are forced into these diets because of fish meal prices, they have the tools to make those feeds.”