Publications des agents du Cirad

Cirad

Impact of a divergent selective breeding programme on individual feed conversion ratio in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus measured in groups by video-recording

De Verdal H., Haffray P., Douchet V., Vandeputte M.. 2022. Aquaculture, 548 (Part 1) : 8 p..

DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2021.737572

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is an important trait to target in breeding programs in order to improve fish farming sustainability and increase environmental efficiency. Due to the complexity of accurately measuring the individual feed consumption of fish, developing a selective breeding programme to improve FCR is a challenge. Using video-recordings of several consecutive meals in tilapia groups, we selected two divergent lines of Nile tilapia for high (FCR+) and low (FCR-) FCR at juvenile stage (12.2 g) combining BLUP and within family selection. After two generations, we observed a 12% realized difference in FCR between both divergent lines, indicating that the inclusion of FCR in a selective breeding programme can be efficient in practice. This divergence was in line with a realized heritability of 0.19 for FCR. The divergence in estimated breeding values of FCR between the two lines was reduced (3%) but still present. Another important result was that the realized genetic correlation between FCR and Daily Weight Gain (DWG) was highly negative (rg = -0.69 ± 0.16), meaning that improving growth by selective breeding would also indirectly improve FCR in juvenile Nile tilapia, although direct selection for FCR would be more efficient than indirect selection through growth to improve FCR.

Mots-clés : sélection; pisciculture; efficacité conversion alimentaire; oreochromis niloticus; aquaculture durable; alimentation des poissons; génétique animale; amélioration des animaux

Documents associés

Article (a-revue à facteur d'impact)

Agents Cirad, auteurs de cette publication :