1. Presented by Christina Bullerwell
Overview of Nutrition Research Conducted with AquAdvantage® Salmon at AquaBounty
Presented by Christina Bullerwell

2. Overview of Major Nutrition Trials
1. Baseline Growth & Nutrient Utilization Study (2013) 2. AquAdvantage® Salmon Fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets (2015) 3. Optimized Feed for AquAdvantage® Salmon (2016)

3. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Objective:
Generate baseline data on growth performance, feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility
Methods:
Growth trial – 1440 salmon were feed from 100 g until weight was tripled
Digestibility trial – 240 salmon fed until 50 g of wet fecal matter was collected per tank
Chromium oxide was added to diets for the digestibility study at a level of 0.5% as a inert marker
Tibbetts et al., 2013

4. Growth of NTG and TG salmon to 300 g
Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Results:
TG salmon achieved target weight 40% faster
Month
Weight (g)
Growth of NTG and TG salmon to 300 g
69 d
173 d
Tibbetts et al., 2013

5. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Results:
TG salmon had a greater daily feed intake than NTG salmon, although a lower overall feed intake – 25% less feed required, lower FCR
Tibbetts et al., 2013

6. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Results:
TG/Trip salmon had a higher apparent digestibility of protein than NTG/Trip salmon, all TG fish had a higher lipid digestibility than NTG fish
Tibbetts et al., 2013

7. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Results:
All TG fish had a higher ash and protein content and a lower lipid and energy content than NTG fish
Tibbetts et al., 2013

8. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Results:
TG fish had a higher nitrogen retention efficiency and a lower lipid retention efficiency than NTG fish, regardless of ploidy
Tibbetts et al., 2013

9. Baseline Growth and Nutrient Utilization Trial
Conclusions:
TG salmon performed better than NTG salmon regardless of ploidy
Results suggest TG salmon are better able to use non-protein sources of energy and direct more protein to biosynthesis
Tibbetts et al., 2013

10. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Objective:
Compare the performance and feed utilization of juvenile TG and NTG Atlantic salmon when fed a diet containing high plant protein and lower fish meal
Methods:
Protein source of plant protein diet (PP) was 32% fish meal (FM)/68% PP vs FM diet of 64% FM/36% PP
Growth trial –600 salmon with an initial weight of g and fed until weight exceeded 400% initial weight
Digestibility trial –720 salmon in 24 tanks with fecal matter collected until 40 g was obtained per tank
Filet, liver and whole body samples were collected and analysed for proximate composition
Ganga et al., 2015

11. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Ganga et al., 2015

12. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Results:
Ganga et al., 2015

13. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Results:
Ganga et al., 2015

14. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Results:
TG salmon had higher nutrient gains, may be due to the much greater FI and a more efficient feed utilization
Ganga et al., 2015

15. AquAdvantage® Salmon fed High Plant Protein vs Fish Meal Diets
Conclusions:
TG salmon have shown better growth performance and feed utilization than NTG salmon
Increased growth performance is able to be maintained with a diet high in PP
Ganga et al., 2015

16. Optimized feed for AquAdvantage® salmon
Objective:
Improve growth performance of AquAdvantage® salmon with an optimized feed for both juveniles and adults
Methods:
Juvenile and adult trial was conducted each with different experimental diets
3 groups of salmon – NTG/DIP (NTG Com.) and 2 groups of TG/TRIP each fed either commercial feed (TG Com.) or experimental diet (TG Exp.)
Weights and lengths measured, filets and whole body samples collected for proximate composition and fatty acid, mineral and amino acid analysis
Ganga et al., 2016

17. Optimized feed for AquAdvantage® salmon
Results:
Both groups of TG salmon reached target weight faster than NTG
Weight (g)
Date
Ganga et al., 2016

18. Optimized feed for AquAdvantage® salmon
Results:
Ganga et al., 2016

19. Optimized feed for AquAdvantage® salmon
Results:
Juvenile TG salmon and NTG salmon had similar body lipid content when both fed commercial diets, adult TG salmon had a higher lipid content than NTG regardless of diet
Juvenile
Adult
Ganga et al., 2016

20. Optimized feed for AquAdvantage® salmon
Conclusions:
Growth rate of both juvenile and adult salmon fed the experimental diets was higher than commercial diet fed salmon
Optimized feeds have the potential to be better formulated and better manufactured to improve performance in the future
Cost-benefit analysis should be done to assess the value in expensive optimized feeds
Ganga et al., 2016

21. Final Conclusions
AquAdvantage® salmon are capable of a significantly faster growth than conventional salmon
AquAdvantage® salmon are better able to convert feed into mass than conventional salmon – lower FCRs
AquAdvantage® salmon may have different nutrient requirements and altered energy metabolism

22. References
Tibbetts, S.M., Wall, C.L., Barbosa-Solomieu, V., Bryenton, M.D., Plouffe, D.A., Buchanan, J.T., Lall, S.P Effects of combined “all-fish” growth hormone transgenic and triploidy on growth and nutrient utilization of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed a practical grower diet of known composition. Aquaculture :
Ganga, R., Tibbetts, S.M., Wall, C.L., Plouffe, D.A., Bryenton, M.D., Peters, A.R., Runighan, C.D., Buchanan, J.T., Lall, S.P Influence of feeding a high plant protein diet on growth and nutrient utilization to combined “all-fish” growth-hormone transgenic diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). Aquaculture. 446:
Ganga, R. et al. (2016). Optimized Feed to Improve Triploid Transgenic Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Growth Performance. (p. 1-18). AquaBounty Canada Inc.

23. Questions?