AQUA 2024

August 26 - 30, 2024

Copenhagen, Denmark

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF SORGHUM: AN UNDERUTILIZED PLANT INGREDIENT IN AQUATIC ANIMAL DIETS

Wendy M. Sealey*, Steven Rawles, Jesse Trushenski, Mohammad Zarei, Stephen Urick, Ethan McAlhaney, Brent Crafton, Delbert Gatlin, and Michael Schwarz

USDA, ARS Bozeman Fish Technology Center, Bozeman, MT 59718, USA

Wendy.Sealey@usda.gov

 



Aquaculture is the fastest growing animal food production system, which reached an all-time high in 2020 with the consumption level double what it was 50 years ago. A large part of this growth has been sustained by shifting the dependence of aquatic species feed formulations from limited and expensive fish meal and fish oil towards abundant and competitively priced terrestrial plant ingredients. To date, corn, soybean, and wheat products have been the predominant plant ingredients included in aquafeeds. However, the growing demand for aquafeed ingredients represents a substantial market opportunity for underutilized plants. Sorghum grain is commonly included in terrestrial animal feeds; however, only limited studies are available regarding the suitability of sorghum grain for aquaculture, limiting its market acceptance as an aquafeed ingredient. Research efforts to expand the utilization of sorghum in aquatic feeds that accurately define nutritional value and optimal inclusion levels of sorghum products for rainbow trout and hybrid striped bass will be presented, as well as progress toward efforts to develop value-added products through novel processing technology and enzyme addition.