December 21, 2007

Vietnam to begin low-phytate barley feeding trial

The US Grains Council together with the Idaho Barley Commission will start trials of low-phytate barley aquaculture feeding trials in Vietnam as approximately 21 tonnes of low-phytate barley was shipped out of Tetonia, Idaho earlier this month destined for field testing.

The barley was donated by the Idaho Barley Commission and the Council arranged for payment of ocean freight. Kelly Olson, Idaho Barley Commission administrator, said the low-phytate barley will be studied in relation to its use as feed for catfish Tra, which is one of the major fish grown in Vietnam, popular for human consumption.

Low-phytate barley contains attributes that benefit animal nutrition and help reduce phosphorous pollution in catfish tra, according to Olson.

An estimated 70 percent of the phosphorous in conventional barley exists in the form of phytate which cannot be readily digested by monogastric animals such as fish. The new low-phytate barley known as Clearwater has a 50 percent reduction in phytate, according to research conducted by USDA's National Small Grains Germplasm Research Facility in Aberdeen, Idaho.

Olson said the phosphorous content in low-phytate barley should be more easily digested by catfish tra, meaning a greater absorption of nutrients and less phosphorous excreted as waste.

Tra catfish feed currently consists of primarily soymeal, wheat by-products, fish meal and rice by-products and others. Olson said that with increasing US barley production, availability for barley export will logically increase as well, which is the rationale for the Idaho Barley Commission donating the low-phytate barley.

In order to promote the barley for feeding fish, technical information on the feeding value of US-produced barley should be available for end-users and US Grains Council will be responsible for this, she said.