Aquaculture diet development subprogram: inclusion of data on the nutritional value of ingredients used in aquaculture feeds in the Australasian Livestock Feed Ingredient (ALFI) Database
Numerous highly specific, outdated databases on the nutritional quality of feed ingredients for livestock are available, but very few exist for aquaculture species. None of these databases provide all of the information that is necessary to adequately define the nutritional quality of a feed ingredient, and all provide conflicting and varying information about the nutritive value of the same ingredient. The major limitation of existing databases is the degree of variation and the lack of consistency between them, making it difficult to interpret the results.
The ALFI database will:
1. Reduce the variability surrounding existing databases;
2. Prevent repetitive collection of information by centralising data collection for all livestock species;
3. Provide a means for recording data generated as part of FRDC funded research programs;
4. Provide a standard against which end-users (producers, stockfeed manufacturers, researchers, plant breeders) can compare values;
5. Utilise the vast amount of information already available on the chemical composition of feed ingredients for all livestock species, removing the need to enter this data for each species;
6. Allow an accurate assessment of ingredient variation over time;
7. Provide a tool for the accurate prediction of the nutritional quality of feed ingredients used in aquaculture diets.
If diet costs in aquauculture systems are to be minimised, there is an urgent need to dessiminate information on the nutritional quality of feed ingredients suitable for use in these diets. The ALFI Database offers the means to achieve this.
Final report
As a result of completing this project, the Australasian Livestock Feed Ingredient (ALFI) database now includes a large amount of information on the chemical composition and nutritional quality of feed grains for pigs, poultry (broilers, layers) and aquaculture species, and can be used by researchers, members of the grains industries, feed manufacturers and plant breeders as a reference for diet formulation, variety comparison and quality control in trading.
Data for pigs, poultry and aquaculture species has been entered into ALFID which now contains more than 22807 sample entries. The ALFI database also incorporates all information contained with the GRDC GRAILE database. The initial beta version has also been reprogrammed so that it is now more user friendly, and run-time versions have been prepared for distribution via CD-ROM. A web-site (www.alfidbase.com) has also been established and a domain name registered to facilitate e-mail submissions for ALFI information, and to promote the benefits of the database. Promotional brochures and presentation formats for the software has been suggested.
A preliminary business plan was prepared outlining some potential paths for the commercialisation of the ALFI database, however, subsequent meetings with stakeholders indicates that the commercialisation process falls outside the scope of this project and will be developed further via GRDC in consultation with the other stakeholders.
