Fish feed made from northern-grown crops is the focus of the Alternative Ingredients in Finfish Aquaculture Short Course, offered at Northern Crops Institute May 9-13. The course is presented in cooperation with South Dakota State University and USDA-ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory.

Aquaculture produced more than 50 percent of the seafood consumed in 2010. However, supplies of traditional ingredients for aquaculture feed, such as fishmeal and fish oil, have peaked. For aquaculture to be a sustainable source of seafood, alternative feed ingredients must be identified.

The course will highlight advances in the understanding of lipid and protein nutrition in finfish. Participants will see demonstrations of feed extrusion using alternative ingredients, participate in laboratory sensory analysis of fillets and visit fish rearing operations.

Course topics include lipid and protein utilization in growth, health and reproduction of finfish; feed extrusion and the effects on final product characteristics when using alternative ingredients; and evaluation of fillets using physical testing tools and individuals’ perceptions of taste and texture.

Site visits will be made to the South Dakota State Fish Hatchery; SDSU Fish Research Laboratory/Current Feeding Trials; USDA/ARS North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory /Extrusion Processing; fish production facilities; and an ethanol production facility.

Course faculty include Clifford Hall, NDSU; Kim Koch, Northern Crops Institute feed center manager; Rebecca Lochmann, University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff; Kamal Mjoun, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Brookings, S.D.; Jesse Trushenski, Southern Illinois University; Mehmet Tulbek, Northern Crops Institute;  and Aaron VonEschen, South Dakota State University.

The registration fee is $1,100.  Registration deadline is April 18. For more information and to register, visit www.northern-crops.com and follow the educational course link or call 1-7736.