Low phytate barley in pangasius fish feed show positive results in Vietnam

The use of low phytate barley has showed positive benefits in pangasius fish nutrition in Vietnam, according to the US Grain Council (USGC) on Thursday (June 11).

USGC consultant Budi Tangendjaja said four dietary treatments containing different inclusion levels of barley were included in floating pangasius feed.

USGC said the newly formulated feed ration was fed to 2,000 pangasius fish during each treatment, containing different levels (0 percent, 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent) of the Idaho barley.

Tangendjaja said diets containing barley were readily consumed by fish, adding that there is little effect on the performance when barley inclusion increased from 10 percent to 30 percent in the diets.

According to USGC regional director in Southeast Asia Adel Yusupov, another benefit of using low phytate barley is the positive impact on the environment.

Yusupov said water pollution caused by highly intensive aquaculture farming in Mekong will demand the use of new feed ingredients such as Idaho's low phytate barley variety.

The council plans to present results on this feeding trial at the upcoming Aqua-Feed Asia conference Oct. 27, 2009, and publish it in Vietnam's aquaculture industry publications.