Development and dissemination of an aquaponic-compatible strain of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Commodities

• Animals: fish

Practices

• Animal Production: aquaculture, genetics
• Production Systems: aquaponics

There is a global groundswell of interest in small and
commercial-scale systems that integrate recirculating aquaculture
system (RAS) technology and hydroponic plant production
(“aquaponics”).

At more than 15 Billion pounds of global production annually,
tilapia is second only to carp species in global aquaculture
production. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the
most widely cultivated species of tilapia, due to its favorable
growth rates, fillet yield, and large terminal size. However, all
tilapias are cold-intolerant. Conversely, the vast proportion of
aquaponic production, at both small and large scale, is focused
on leafy green vegetables and herbs which are predominantly
cool-loving and often heat-intolerant. Yet, tilapias are the most
widely utilized fish in aquaponics, both in the US and abroad.
The mismatched temperature optima between tilapia and most leafy
green vegetables frequently require producers to grow tilapia at
suboptimal temperatures in deference to their vegetable
counterparts, resulting in poor performance, vulnerability to
disease, and the relegation of fish to the role of a fertilizer
source rather than a commercial product.

AmeriCulture’s strain of Nile tilapia is uniquely qualified as a
base strain for further development given its origins from the
relatively cooler waters of Lake Nasser, Egypt. As the largest
hatchery in the US marketed high-performance, disease-free
juvenile fish to other producers who raise the fish for resale,
AmeriCulture is uniquely positioned to disseminate improved
tilapia fingerlings in mass to North American aquaponic
producers.

SARE funds will facilitate AmeriCulture’s production of its ninth
generation of fish as a baseline strain for future development of
Nile tilapia more compatible with hydroponics than existing
strains, directly benefiting aquaponic producers in the US and
abroad. AmeriCulture’s established production facilities,
existing genetic resources and both in-house and advisory
expertise bolster the likelihood of success in further developing
and disseminating aquaponic-compatible Nile Tilapia.

There is a global groundswell of interest in small and
commercial-scale systems that integrate recirculating aquaculture
system (RAS) technology and hydroponic plant production
(“aquaponics”).

At more than 15 Billion pounds of global production annually,
tilapia is second only to carp species in global aquaculture
production. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the
most widely cultivated species of tilapia, due to its favorable
growth rates, fillet yield, and large terminal size. However, all
tilapias are cold-intolerant. Conversely, the vast proportion of
aquaponic production, at both small and large scale, is focused
on leafy green vegetables and herbs which are predominantly
cool-loving and often heat-intolerant. Yet, tilapias are the most
widely utilized fish in aquaponics, both in the US and abroad.
The mismatched temperature optima between tilapia and most leafy
green vegetables frequently require producers to grow tilapia at
suboptimal temperatures in deference to their vegetable
counterparts, resulting in poor performance, vulnerability to
disease, and the relegation of fish to the role of a fertilizer
source rather than a commercial product.

AmeriCulture’s strain of Nile tilapia is uniquely qualified as a
base strain for further development given its origins from the
relatively cooler waters of Lake Nasser, Egypt. As the largest
hatchery in the US marketed high-performance, disease-free
juvenile fish to other producers who raise the fish for resale,
AmeriCulture is uniquely positioned to disseminate improved
tilapia fingerlings in mass to North American aquaponic
producers.

SARE funds will facilitate AmeriCulture’s production of its ninth
generation of fish as a baseline strain for future development of
Nile tilapia more compatible with hydroponics than existing
strains, directly benefiting aquaponic producers in the US and
abroad. AmeriCulture’s established production facilities,
existing genetic resources and both in-house and advisory
expertise bolster the likelihood of success in further developing
and disseminating aquaponic-compatible Nile Tilapia.