Resource Use Assessment of Shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon,Production in Thailand and Vietnam

Resource use was investigated at 34 Litopenaeus vannamei and five Penaeus monodon farms in Thailand and 30 L. vannamei and 24 P. monodon farms in Vietnam. Farms varied in water surface areas for production, reservoirs, canals, and settling basins; in pond size and depth; and in water management, stocking density, feeding rate, amendment input, aeration rate, crop duration, and crops per year. Production of L. vannamei averaged 17.3 and 10.9 m.t./ha/yr, and feed conversion ratio averaged 1.49 and 1.33 in Thailand and Vietnam, respectively. On average, production of 1 m.t. of L. vannamei required 0.58 ha land, 5,400 m³ water, 60 GJ energy, and 1218 kg wildfish in Thailand and 1.76 ha land, 15,100 m³ water, 33.7 GJ energy, and 1264 kg wildfish in Vietnam. Resource use per metric ton of shrimp declined with greater production intensity. In Thailand, P. monodon was produced at 0.2–0.4 m.t./ha/yr, with no inputs but water and postlarvae. In Vietnam, P. monodon production averaged 3.60 m.t./ha/yr. Production of 1 m.t. of P. monodon required 0.80 ha land, 36,000 m³ water, 47.8 GJ energy, and 1180 kg wildfish, and resource use per ton production declined with increasing production intensity.     

Foodfish Production Strategies Using 13‐cm and 19‐cm Hybrid Catfish, ♀Ictalurus punctatus × ♂Ictalurus furcatus

Most hybrid catfish, ♀Ictalurus punctatus × ♂Ictalurus furcatus, producers stock 18‐ to 19‐cm fingerlings in single‐batch production. While stocking smaller fingerlings would be less expensive, the economic trade‐offs of using smaller fingerlings is unknown. Two sizes of hybrid catfish fingerlings (13‐cm and 19‐cm) were stocked in single‐size treatments at 9884 head/ha and a multi‐size treatment with each size stocked at 9884 head/ha (total 19,768 head/ha). In the 13‐cm and 19‐cm single‐size treatments, 87 and 98%, respectively, reached market size in one season. In the multi‐size treatment, 77% of all fish stocked reached market size, demonstrating that more than half of the 13‐cm fish reached market size in this treatment. Gross, net, and marketable yields were significantly greater in the multi‐size treatment when compared to the 13‐cm or 19‐cm single‐size treatments, but were not significantly different between the two single‐size treatments. The 19‐cm single‐size treatment resulted in greater break‐even prices and economic risk than the other two treatments. This study demonstrated that 13‐cm hybrid catfish fingerlings can be raised economically in both single‐ and multi‐size production systems in the southern USA.     

Increased abundance of patatins,lipoxygenase and miraculins in a thaxtomin A-habituated potato Russet Burbank somaclone with enhanced resistance to common scab

Potato common scab caused by the actinobacterium Streptomyces scabiei is characterized by the formation of corky lesions on tubers that reduce their marketability. Management of common scab is very complex and often ineffective under various environmental conditions. Using potato varieties that are more resistant to common scab remains one of the most efficient strategies to control this disease. However, very little is known about the factors associated with resistance to common scab. Somaclone RB9 regenerated from thaxtomin A-habituated potato Russet Burbank calli produced tubers more resistant to common scab than the original variety. Comparison of the RB9 tuber proteome with that of Russet Burbank using label-free quantitative proteomic analysis revealed changes in the accumulation of defence-related proteins from the patatin and lipoxygenase (LOX) families, which are involved in the metabolism of lipids, and of two miraculins of the Kunitz-type protease inhibitors family. The implication of LOX during common scab infection was studied using synchronized minitubers developed from leaf-bud cuttings. S. scabiei infection stimulated the accumulation of LOX in both Russet Burbank and RB9 minitubers, but this accumulation was intensified in RB9 minitubers. Infection also increased LOX activity in Russet Burbank and RB9 minitubers. However, LOX activity measured in noninfected RB9 minitubers was similar to that of infected Russet Burbank minitubers, indicating endogenous activation of LOX activity in RB9 minitubers. We discuss how increased LOX abundance and activity in the somaclone RB9 may contribute to improving tuber defence against common scab.     

Economics of Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture: Evidence from Shrimp Farms in Vietnam and Thailand

There is growing interest in sustainable intensification of aquaculture production. Yet little economic analysis has been done on farm‐level effects of the economic sustainability of production intensification. Data from 83 shrimp farms (43 in Vietnam and 40 in Thailand) were used to identify (through principal component and cluster analyses) 13 clusters of management practices that reflected various scales of production intensity that ranged from 0–1999 kg/ha/crop to 10,000 kg/ha/crop and above, for both Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei in Vietnam and Thailand. The clusters identified reflected sets of management practices that resulted in differing yields despite similarities in stocking densities among some clusters. The enterprise budget analysis developed showed that the more intensively managed clusters outperformed the less intensively managed clusters in economic terms. More intensively managed farm clusters had lower costs per metric ton of shrimp produced and were more profitable. The greater yields of shrimp produced per hectare of land and water resources in more intensively managed shrimp farms spread annual fixed costs across a greater volume of shrimp produced and reduced the cost per metric ton of shrimp. Costs per metric ton of shrimp produced decreased from the lowest to the highest intensity level (from US$10,245 at lowest intensity to US$3484 at highest for P. monodon and from US$24,301 to US$5387 for L. vannamei in Vietnam and from US$8184 at the lowest intensity level to US$3817 at the highest intensity level per metric ton for L. vannamei in Thailand). Costs of pond amendments used in shrimp production were particularly high in Vietnam and largely unwarranted, whereas fixed costs associated with the value of land, production facilities, equipment, and labor were sufficiently high in Thailand so that net returns were negative in the long run. Nevertheless, economic losses in Thailand were less at greater levels of intensification. The study demonstrated a clear value proposition for shrimp farmers to use natural resources (such as land) and other inputs in an efficient manner and supports findings from corresponding research on farm‐level natural resource use efficiency. Additional research that incorporates economic analysis into on‐farm studies of sustainable intensification of aquaculture is needed to provide ongoing guidance related to sustainable management practices for aquaculture.     

The Effect of Hybrid Catfish Fingerling Prices on the Relative Profitability of Hybrid Channel Catfish

Previous studies have indicated that the price premium charged for hybrid catfish fingerlings may be a significant factor in the adoption and profitability of hybrid catfish production. An enterprise budgeting simulation analysis was developed to compare costs, risk, and effect of hybrid fingerling costs. Feed, fingerling, and total costs ($/ha and $/kg) were highest for hybrid catfish production, intermediate for NWAC‐103, and lowest for normal channel catfish production. Net returns were highest for hybrid catfish production, but breakeven prices were also highest. Risk analysis showed that downside risk (risk of losing money) was higher for hybrid production for all farm sizes. Risk‐averse farmers would not select hybrid catfish at the mean fingerling values used in the analysis. However, at hybrid fingerling prices less than $0.0081/cm, hybrid catfish production was superior in profitability and breakeven cost of production. Thus, for hybrid catfish production to be preferred economically to normal channel catfish, the price premium for hybrid catfish fingerlings can be no more than 84% ($0.0037/cm) above that of normal channel catfish fingerlings and 57% ($0.0025/cm) above that of NWAC‐103 fingerling prices.     

A comparison of the somaclonal variation level of Rosa hybrida L. cv Meirutral plants regenerated from callus or direct induction from different vegetative and embryonic tissues

Summary Flowering plants of Rosa hybrida L. cv Meirutral have been obtained either from direct regeneration of adventitious shoots on leaf and root fragments, or through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis on calli derived from anther, ovule, petal, sepal, receptacle, leaf, stem internode, root and zygotic embryo tissues. The calli derived from floral parts exhibited rhizogenesis. In this case direct induction of adventitious shoots from selected roots had to be performed in order to generate plants. A histological study of the morphogenetic calli was carried out. The plants regenerated directly and those regenerated from calli of leaf, stem internode, root and zygotic embryo tissues, together with reference plants propagated by cuttings, were compared on a phenotypic basis by taking into account petal number, form and colour, and plant growth habit. From these observations, it can be concluded that directly regenerated plants are as stable as reference plants while plants regenerated from callus are unstable, especially those derived from zygotic embryo tissues.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - GA3 gibberellic acid - IAA 3-indole-acetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog - NAA 1-naphthalene acetic acid     

Within-season volatile and quality differences in stored fresh-cut cantaloupe cultivars

Cantaloupe cultivar variability from various U.S. regions and growing seasons within a given year was evaluated. As expected, there was often considerable quality and volatile variation among cultivars. Eight of 11 cultivars met the standard U.S. No. 1 requirement for degrees Brix (> or =9), and in most cultivars, degrees Brix declined during fresh-cut storage at 4 degrees C. Hunter L (loss of lightness color value) and a (decline of typical orange hue) colors also generally declined during storage in most cultivars. Volatile ester compounds generally decreased during fresh-cut storage or exhibited a transient increase before declining after 5-7 days of storage. The relative percentage of acetate esters declined during storage in all cultivars, and declines were accompanied by simultaneous non-acetate ester increases. Slight imbalances in compound concentrations may alter the overall perception of desirable, typical "cantaloupe" aroma/flavor during fresh-cut storage. Upsetting the unique aroma balance through storage may negatively affect flavor and the consumer's perception of desirable attributes, even though total volatile levels might not decrease substantially until after 5-7 days in storage. Subtle volatile and quality decreases are likely to be exacerbated with immature-harvested cantaloupe and are likely in out-of-season exports that have likewise been harvested at less mature stages. Altogether, this study indicates the difficulty in procuring cantaloupes of consistent quality from local producers, in a given year, for domestically grown fruit.     

Aroma extracts from oyster Crassostrea gigas: comparison of two extraction methods.

The study of the aroma of oysters is of great economic interest in France because it enables their organoleptic quality to be verified. The aim of this study is to optimize the extraction methods of the volatile compounds of oysters Crassostrea gigas in order to obtain an extract with an odor as close as possible to that of the original oysters'. Oyster aroma is rarely studied, and its sensory profile has not been investigated to date. Two extraction methods were studied: vacuum hydrodistillation carried out at 20 degrees C with noncrushed oyster using ultrapure water and dynamic headspace carried out using noncrushed oyster during a 30 min purge. They were compared with regard to their sensory characteristics by a panel of seven judges, all trained in seafood aroma recognition. This study has shown that vacuum hydrodistillation is the better method to obtain an extract closest in aroma to the oyster reference.     

Impact of ultrafiltration membrane material on Peptide separation from a snow crab byproduct hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes

Electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membrane (EDUF) is a technology based on the separation of molecules according to their charge and molecular mass. Some works have already successfully demonstrated the recovery of bioactive peptide fractions. However, the impact of ultrafiltration membrane (UFM) material, used in the EDUF system, on the peptide migration has never been studied. Consequently, the objectives of this work were (1) to evaluate the effect of two different UFM materials on the selective separation of peptides from a snow crab byproduct hydrolysate by electrodialysis with ultrafiltration membranes and (2) to determine the effect of UFM material on their potential fouling by peptides. It appeared that, after 6 h of EDUF separation using polyether sulfone (PES) and cellulose acetate (CA) UFM, peptides with low molecular weights ranging from 300 to 700 Da represented the most abundant population in the KCl1 (compartment located near the anode for the recovery of anionic/acid peptide fractions) and KCl2 (compartment located near the cathode for the recovery of cationic/basic peptide fractions) permeates. Peptides with molecular weights ranging from 700 to 900 Da did not migrate during the EDUF treatment. Moreover, only CA UFM allowed the recovery of high molecular weight molecules (900-20000 Da) in both KCl compartments. Peptides desorbed from PES and CA UFM after 6 h of EDUF separation had low molecular weights and belonged mainly to the 600-700 Da molecular weight range. These peptides represented a low proportion of the peptides initially present in the snow crab byproduct hydrolysate with individual molecular weight range proportions from 1.52 ± 0.31 to 10.2 ± 2.32%.