Innovations in Soy for Aquaculture

Michael C. Cremer, Ph.D.Aquaculture Utilization Director

Challenge: Identify economically viable and sustainable alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil

Forecast: Need to double aquaculture production in a decade

Soy-Based AquafeedsAll-plant protein diets using dehulled soybean meal as the primary protein source have been developed and are in use globally to culture the more than 30 mmt of freshwater omnivores produced annually

Future Aquaculture Growth● Much of aquaculture growth is forecast to be

in the marine sector● Limited fresh water for industry expansion● High demand for cultured marine fish and shrimp

in response to reduced ocean capture landings

Soy Protein Concentrate (SPC) Good performance with SPC replacement for

fishmeal in diets for many species being researched by U.S. soybean industry

Gilthead Sea bream European Sea bass

Example: Cobia

High soy diets performed as well as 64% fishmeal diet●3% fishmeal - with 40% SPC + 30% SBM

Advances in Soybean ResearchNew research makes soy an even more viable option for

sustainable aquafeeds

Soy Genome Sequence● In 2008 a complete draft assembly of the soybean (Glycine max)

genetic code was publicly released, making it widely available to the research community to advance new breeding strategies

● Ordered and localized about 5,500 genetic markers on the sequence that promise to be of particular importance to researchers seeking to optimize certain qualities in soybean

● Enabled resequencing of the 20,000 soybean lines that are stored in the National Plant Germplasm System to identify desired gene variances that are not currently captured by domesticated soybean lines

New Research Technologies

Molecular Lab with cutting edge technology● Analytical techniques allow for rapid

new trait discovery and screening

● Reduces analytical costs from $100’sto pennies

● Discovery of genetic markers

● ID markers for key nutritional factors

● Accelerates release of new products

●High protein soybean meals….. 57-64% CP●Ultra-low oligosaccharidesa….. < 1%●Ultra-low trypsin inhibitorsb…. < 10,000 TIU

Generous Genetic Variation in Soybeans

Fishmeal Replacement

aoligosaccharides - carbohydrates that inhibit digestion or cause allergic reaction in intestinebtrypsin inhibitors - proteins that inhibit digestion

New Soybean Varieties have Attributes Beneficial to Aquaculture

● Potential to replace higher levels of fishmeal in aquafeeds

● Provide more flexibility in feed formulating

High-Protein Genetic Lines without:● Oligosaccharides: stachyose, raffinose● Trypsin inhibitor activity, TIU/g● P34 allergen● Lipoxygenase ● Lectins, mg/kg● Phytate

Soybean Development for AquafeedsGenetic Improvement

All non-GMO

Low Oligosaccharides● Oligosaccharides – carbohy-

drates that inhibit digestion

● Poorly digested in mono-gastric animals - including fish

● Allergic reaction - enteritis is some fish species (salmon)

● Poor energy utilization

Raffinose

Stachyose

● Fishmeal replacement (50%) with high-protein-low oligosaccharide soybean meal in salmon fry results in

● Equal weight gain as with fishmeal● No salmon fry mortality● No enteritis-marker molecules in the blood

● Improved amino acid digestibility

● Reduced output of metabolites = preserves water quality

● Increased pellet durability and increased oil absorption in pellets

● Attributes similar to Soy Protein Concentrate (SPC), but in a meal that is less expensive

Advantages: High-Protein + Low Oligosaccharide Soybean Meal

1. Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, Norway

2. Rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss – USDA ARS, Bozeman, MT

3. Cobia, Rachycentron canadum – VCF, Saltville, VA

4. Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei – AU, Auburn, AL

5. European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax – CTA, Cadiz, Spain

6. Yellowtail Kona Kampachi, Seriola rivoliana – KF, Kailua Kona, HI

7. Red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus – TAMU, College Station, TX

2011 Ongoing TrialsHigh Protein + Ultra-Low Oligosaccharides

U.S. Qualified StateSoybean Boards

● TI – proteins that inhibit digestion

● TI also cause pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia (excessive development)

● Requires either heating (current method - high energy) or genetic removal

Low Trypsin Inhibitors (TI)

● Paradigm shift in soy processing less heat required = energy savings

● Improved protein quality (less denaturing)

● Improved amino acid digestibility

Advantages: High Protein + Low TI

Pompano and yellowtail can be raised on soy-based, low fishmeal diets

● Stack high protein, ultra-low oligosaccharides and low trypsin all in a single soybean

Traits Can be Combined

Research to test yield consistency and competitiveness of soybeans with combined traits

● Lipoxygensase (LOX) – enzyme that destroys essential fatty acids● Off-flavors – beany flavor that impacts

palatability

Low Lipoxygenase

Development of Alternative Soybean Products 8.2011Soy-based feeds with good palatability

● Lectins – protein-based molecules with a ‘sweet tooth’ - attach to carbohydrates, mainly sugars – “low-grade toxins”● Immunosuppressive ability● Sticky - binding powers can lead them to attach

to the intestinal lining - interfere with nutrient absorption and damage the intestine

Low Lectins

Development of Alternative Soybean Products 8.2011

● Phytate – antioxidant compound that reduces the utilization of phosphorus, minerals, and dietary proteins● Objective to decrease phosphorus pollution from feeds● Two genetic approaches

● Low phytate soybeans – increased P uptake by fish● High phytase soybeans – P in more available form to fish

Low Phytate

Maintenance of water quality is critical to fish culturists using multi-purpose ocean waters

Fish Oil Replacement

Alternative feed lipid regimes● Use of a combination of vegetable oils, with no fish oil, for

most of the production cycle, followed by a finishing diet with fish oil to allow accumulation of the very long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA

● Collaborative research between Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute and Southern Illinois University

Fish Oil Replacement

Soy Oils● Blending of fish oil with either commodity soybean oil or

high stearidonic acid (STA) soybean oil - no reduction in accumulation of the very long chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA

● Kampachi (yellowtail) - blending of STA soybean oil with fish oil produces more total omega-3 fatty acids in the flesh than 100% fish oil in the diet

Soy Oil● Increasing displacement of fish oil with STA

soybean oil up to 10:90 fish oil:STA soybean oil● Current testing with Kona Kampachi™ will identify how

much EPA/DHA is required in the diet of Kona Kampachi™ to ensure total omega-3 fatty acids in the flesh of the fish at harvest are not compromised

● Improving STA soybean - generated soybean with up to 3.5% of the very long chain omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, in the oil

Carotenoids● Successfully stacked novel omega-3 fatty acid genes

with high value carotenoid genes (astaxanthin and beta-carotene) into one soybean

● Applications forspecies wherecoloration is important,e.g. salmon

High value carotenoids in soybean

carotenoid astaxanthin up to 25 ug/g seed along with beta-carotene up to 980 ug/g seed.

Taurine ● Yellowtail fed 40% SPC replacement for

fishmeal, with the addition of taurine, showing higher growth rate than fishmeal control diet

SPC + taurine Fishmeal Control

Taurine from Algae● China currently only source for taurine

● Univ. Nebraska - designing and testing strategies for production of taurine in algal cells

● Testing algae cell inclusion rates to allow for down-stream incorporation of a taurine producing algal feedstock

Taurine production in algal cells

U.S. Soy - committed to assisting the global aquaculture industry to be

environmentally friendly, profitable and sustainable

Soybeans Soy Oil & Lecithin

SBM and SPC

U.S. Soybeans● Renewable● Scalable● Responsibly and sustainably produced

A Better Soybean

Acknowledgements● Schillinger Genetics

● United Soybean Board

● U.S. Soybean Export Council

● University of Nebraska

● Many U.S. and international R&D partners