The following is an edited transcript of Tom Martin’s interview with Gijs Rutjes, technical sales support manager at Coppens International, an Alltech company. 

Gijs Rutjes is technical sales support manager at Coppens International, an Alltech company, in Helmond, the Netherlands. He joined Tom Martin to discuss recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The technology dramatically reduces the amount of water and space required to intensively produce seafood products.

Tom:                   Let's begin by asking you to give us a brief history of RAS farming. Why did we start growing fish on land in the first place?

Gijs:                     One of the main reasons is that this offers the opportunity to farm, for example, tropical species in cold conditions. One big example is the African catfish in Holland. This is a fish that requires about 26 degrees Celsius (78 degrees Fahrenheit). In Holland, it could never survive. Still, it's a well-valued fish in Holland. So, we have to use RAS with heated water and purification systems to farm this fish. 

                            Another reason is that you are close to the market. You can position the farm close to the market where you want to be and lower  transportation costs.  

                            It also offers you the possibility to choose a great water supply in an area where you know the borehole water to be really good.

                            Another thing is that you control the conditions for the fish. You can look after optimal conditions all the time. In the case of any     diseases, you have much more control.

                            Finally, you can prevent escapees. In cage farming, sometimes fish unfortunately do escape and can mingle with wild stocks, but  this is near impossible in a RAS farm.

Tom:                   How is this technology being received by the industry? What position does RAS farming hold in the world of modern agriculture?

Gijs:                     I think its importance is increasing. It was a rather local affair in some countries. Holland was one of the first. Denmark also had a leading position. It spread first among the expensive species, but it has become more of a mainstay across the industry because of all the advantages that it has. It has modernized aquaculture, and I'm sure it will continue to modernize because we can still improve certain purification methods and reduce the amount of water needed to produce a kilo of fish.

Tom:                   What are the key challenges for farmers who produce fish in these recirculating aquaculture systems?

Gijs:                     One of the most important things is that you keep constant optimal conditions. For example, as you feed your fish, you will always have a certain fluctuation in the feed level. As you harvest the large fish, you also put in new young fish. Therefore, the feed rates tend to fluctuate. But the biology in the filter, the response to this can be a reason for fluctuating water quality. So, it's very important for the farmer to keep his conditions optimal and constant all the time because then the fish has no reason to feel uncomfortable and it will always eat well and grow well.

Tom:                   Let's say that I'm in the business. I have a fish farm. I have a RAS system. What are three things that I'm looking for in a RAS feed supplier?

Gijs:                     That’s a very good question. I think if you would ask me for one thing, it would be consistency. I think one thing people look for is that it gives a high feed intake and consequently a good growth.

                            Assume that you can have a really good FCR. So, feed intake is one of the first things that people will mention in line with growth. The second would be a low waste load, or low in organic matter — feces, you could say — and also low ammonium production. By changing or regulating the DPDE — that’s the ratio between digestible energy over digestible protein — you can reduce the amount of ammonium produced. Therefore, you can feed more.

                            But as I said, the first important one would be the consistency. You need a consistent feed that is the same in taste and flavor and composition all the time because, otherwise, the filters will react. It's not so bad for the fish, but the filters will react, and that's not what you want.

Tom:                   What are the key challenges to achieving optimal gut health in RAS farmed fish?

Gijs:                     I think it starts with choosing high-quality ingredients that have a high digestibility and also that have a low level of antinutrients because you don't have to fix anything that you haven't damaged. Antinutrients are not good for gut health. So, that’s what we reduce in our RAS feeds.

Tom:                   Gijs, what are the benefits of RAS-produced fish over ocean-based fish farming?

Gijs:                     That’s a good question. I think the difference doesn’t have to be that big. You can produce good fish in either system. While RAS feeds need to fulfill higher requirements — you normally have a higher quality feed, perhaps with higher EPA or DHA. This could make for a higher quality fish considering the consumer demands. But you could have the same feed in a cage and produce similar fish. So, I think on the quality side, it doesn’t have to be a big difference.

Tom:                   You may have touched on this earlier in the conversation, but in recent years, there's been an issue with the occurrence of off-flavoring microorganisms in RAS systems. Has this been addressed and overcome?

Gijs:                     Yes and no. I think it's good to first outline that farms can have off-flavor because the two types of microorganisms that produce this off-flavor, geosmin and isoborneol, can live anywhere. They can live in filters — that’s where they like to live. RAS farms usually have them, but you have them in pond farms as well. So, a lot of RAS farms these days use moving bed bioreactors. That’s a place where these microorganisms do not like to live because they need a sort of fixed structure to attach themselves to. If you do have a moving bed bioreactor, by nature, they cannot attach. So, these systems normally have a very low amount of these microorganisms and often have no off-flavor at all.

                            I think it’s important to purge the fish from a pond farm, as well as from a RAS farm, and taste your fish. Just make sure that there's not even a hint of an off-flavor because that is not a nice taste, and it would really spoil the quality of your fish.

Tom:                  So, you really have to stay on top of it.

Gijs:                     Yes, always. Even if you don't have it in your farm. We have several customers that, mainly due to the moving bed bioreactors, do not have off-flavor issues, but they will still purge, even if it's for a few days, and test the fish before they sell to the market. Then the quality is always spot on. It takes only one farmer to spoil the market for all.

Tom:                   What does the future look like for RAS farming methods and aquaculture?

Gijs:                     I think RAS farming will increase and continue to improve the whole aquaculture industry. There's a very big movement toward keeping smolts onshore. It offers much more control and no issues with sea lice. So, this industry has seen that this is a big benefit to them. I think there will be more types of aquaculture that will use the RAS system.

                            RAS farming by nature is also very sustainable. You can reach a lower carbon footprint. You can use less water. You have less pollution. I think that the number of liters we require to produce a kilo of fish will reduce in the coming years.

Tom:                   Gijs Rutjes is technical sales support manager at Coppens International in Helmond, the Netherlands. Thank you for joining us.

Gijs:                     You’re welcome. Thank you very much.

Telmo Cristina, an industrial tomato producer in central Portugal, tells how Alltech Crop Science solutions improved the quality of his produce and helped him to better meet the demands of the tomato concentrate industry.

What is Alltech IFM™? 

Alltech IFM is an in-vitro fermentation model for beef cattle and dairy cow rations that simulates rumen fermentation and allows producers to receive a customized report assessing a ration’s digestibility and potential for optimal rumen function. Alltech IFM is a nutritional tool used by farmers and feed manufacturers to screen individual ingredients, formulate rations and make informed decisions on the quality of feed or total mixed rations (TMR).

Why use it?  

By using Alltech IFM, we can identify barriers to rumen fermentation, formulate rations based on nutrient availability and help to reduce energy losses and feed wastage. 

Nutritionists rely on nutritional models and chemical feed characteristics to formulate diets. However, this information is static and does not provide a complete evaluation of nutrient availability. Alltech IFM is a dynamic diagnostic tool that measures the digestion of feed in the rumen in real time. This allows us to get a comprehensive view of feed digestion as opposed to a snapshot from a single point in time. 

How does it work? 

Feed samples are incubated using rumen fluid and a buffer system to mimic natural rumen fermentation in the animal. Feed samples can include concentrates, fresh forages, silages or total mixed rations (TMRs). As digestion progresses, volumes of fermentation gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, are continuously monitored using an automated system.

• Alltech IFM measures gas production, taking into account all nutrients fermented (solubles and insolubles). Total gas production is separated into fast-fermenting carbohydrates (e.g., starches and sugars) and slowly-fermenting carbohydrates (e.g., fibres) using mathematical equations. 
• Estimates of rates of degradation of the different carbohydrate fractions provide additional information on the nutritive value of the feed. 
• Measurement of fermentation by-products includes: 
  • Yield of microbial biomass (i.e., source of metabolizable protein to the animal). 
  • Volatile fatty acid profile (i.e., source of energy to the animal). 
  • Total gas production. 
  • In vitro dry matter digestibility. 

Combined with a measurement of digestibility provided by Alltech IFM, we can calculate the amount of energy lost as methane and methane emissions per animal.  

Verified by the Carbon Trust, Alltech IFM is an effective tool for predicting farm- and feed-specific enteric methane emissions. 

How Alltech IFM can be used: 

• Nutritional tool to optimize ruminal function, ruminal starch availability and fiber digestion in the rumen, and protein balance. 
• Troubleshoot potential problems and develop supplementation strategies to optimize feed efficiency and profitability, which are tailored to your feeding programs. 
• Improve efficiency and reduce carbon footprint: Estimates of gas production can help identify total mixed rations that are less efficient and that produce excessive gas per unit of dry matter digested.  

Alltech IFM locations 

Submitting a sample 

For information on how you can submit a sample to one of our Alltech IFM labs, please contact your local Alltech office. 

When you hear the word "audit," you might automatically think of revenue or taxation auditors, but did you know that Alltech runs farm audits to help improve the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of your farm?

We believe the key to unlocking greater profitability in a sustainable fashion is by increasing the efficiency of production. This is the driving principle behind the Alltech E=P+S program, in which efficiency equals profitability plus sustainability. Alltech can predict the probable outcome in economic value and also highlight the expected reduction in carbon emissions from the projected added efficiencies. The program helps to predict and monitor the benefits on-farm as well as clearly demonstrate the advantages through our unique “What if?” tool.

It’s simple, according to Kevin Dardis, global dairy marketing manager for Alltech.

“Farmers are looking to the opportunities that abound in dairy and beef production," he said. "Alltech is uniquely positioned to help resolve inefficiencies and boost profitability in a more sustainable way.”

How does Alltech's E=P+S program work?

Alltech’s E=P+S program is comprised of a number of components that, when taken together, provide farmers with a complete audit and recommendation package for any farm unit.

The first component is silage production and quality. This is combined with advice on feed formulation and mineral specifications. Then, our technicians audit the management of the herd using the Alltech program. We also carry out manure sieving to help identify the amount of undigested feed passing through the rumen in a wasteful manner.

Let us do the number crunching for you

Our technicians are fully trained in feed formulation using Plurimix, a dedicated formulations program. Plurimix models the existing diet and allows for a comparison of the potential benefits of alternative diets. All diets can be compared nutritionally, by cost and by carbon output of the herd’s diet. This information can then be transferred, along with the basic operating performance indicators of the farm, into the unique Alltech “What if?“ tool. Calculations indicate the degree of cost benefit from the resolved inefficiencies to the farmer with the added bonus of reduced herd carbon footprint, which is great news for the consumer,who is more concerned than ever with how their food is produced.

All of these components are brought together into a comprehensive recommendation for diet, mineral specification, alternative protein sources and, if required, mycotoxin control. Following implementation, the results and performance are regularly monitored by technicians to ensure that the predicted improvements are achieved or bettered.

Sounds simple, right? If you are interested in seeing if Alltech can help you today, contact your local Alltech representative.

Contact us for more information

There is no doubt that corn silage, barley silage and alfalfa haylage are the major fermented forages supporting the dairy industry in Canada and the US. Any variation in the nutrient composition and digestibility of these forages will therefore directly affect a producer’s ability to meet their dairy cows' nutrient requirements throughout the year.

In other words, a good understanding of the nutritive value of your fermented forages will allow you to develop a nutrition program that helps your cows reach their true genetic potential for milk production and health.

More nutrients for the cow, more dollars in your pocket

Over the last few years, nutritionists and dairy producers have been paying special attention to the nutritive value of fermented forages. It is now widely acknowledged that this nutritional concept can positively impact animal productivity and producer profitability. The performance of the modern dairy cow is highly dependent upon the adequate levels and favorable balances of nutrients in the fermented forages they consume.

It is an oversimplification to define the nutritive value of fermented forages purely as the ability to supply the nutrients present in the dry matter to the cow. Before nutrients can reach their target tissue in the cow, the feed must be consumed (feed intake) and the nutrients in the forage must be released and absorbed by the cow (digestion).

When it comes to digestion, fermentable forages are a step ahead

Many factors influence the nutritive value of fermentable forages, including forage cultivar, stage of maturity at harvest and storage methods. In contrast to non-fermentable forages, the digestion of fermentable forage begins long before it is added to the feed bunk.

During normal ensiling processes, some nutrients ferment, releasing molecules that make the crop more palatable and easier to digest. Under these conditions, the nutrients have a better chance of being ingested and absorbed.

Practically speaking, this fermentable forage has an optimum nutritive value. In commercial dairy herds, this forage will result in high milk yield and milk components, leading to excellent reproductive performance and good health.

Test your forage to see how it measures up

Usually, producers and nutritionists send forage samples to a lab in order to obtain information on the nutritional composition of the fermented forages. However, this information can come up short in terms of allowing producers to understand how available these nutrients are to the cow.

Fortunately, methods such as Alltech’s In vitro Fermentation Model have been developed to efficiently and quickly determine the nutrient availability in these forages, including the neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), or the organic matter digestibility. Results from these tests are positively correlated with potential intake. When this information is analyzed as a whole, producers can get a good idea of the nutritive value of their fermented forage.

In Ontario and Quebec, a recent survey carried out on 47 fermented forages indicated that over 84 percent of the forage samples collected showed NDFD (at 30 hours in vitro) values below 52 percent, suggesting poor nutritive value. Therefore, it is important not to assume that your forages have a good nutritive value. To assure herd performance, testing is a must.

Reviewing the nutritive value of the fermented forages used in any feeding program is essential to help your dairy herd reach its maximum genetic potential and is an integral part of dairy farming profitability.

How many of us floss daily?

How many of us are brushing our pet’s teeth?

We have good intentions. We buy the floss for ourselves but don’t use it regularly. We may even add the doggie dental care kit to our Amazon order, but we have a hard enough time taking care of our own teeth (ahem, unused floss). In fact, according to Packaged Facts, only 20 percent of dog owners and 11 percent of cat owners brush their pet’s teeth at all!

If you’re on the receiving end of doggie affection, you know why this is important. No one likes bad breath, even if the offender is your best fur friend.

Pet maladies: A malodorous cue?

But bad breath is more than just offensive to us; it can be an indication of a more serious health issue.

According to Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health Report 2016, 76 percent of dogs and 68 percent of cats are affected by dental disease, which not only impacts the teeth, gums and mouth, but can potentially affect a pet’s heart, liver and kidneys.

Brushing and professional teeth cleaning are key to oral and dental health, but treats, chews and supplements can also play a significant role. Building a pet’s immune defenses with the right nutrition is critical for oral health.

Perfecting your pet’s pearly whites

The form of the pet diet is important. Hard kibble cleans teeth better than wet foods.

Composition is also critical. Nutrition influences tooth, bone and mucosal integrity, oral bacterial composition, resistance to infection and tooth longevity.

A nutritionally adequate diet will prevent any mineral or vitamin deficiencies, but we can do better. By providing our pets with ingredients that support immunity, prebiotics like Bio-Mos® and probiotic bacteria help support gut health and nutrient absorption. Bio-Mos is designed to feed the gastrointestinal tract, promoting beneficial bacteria and building natural defenses.

Feeding organic trace minerals like Bioplex® and Sel-Plex® ensure our pets absorb the minerals in a way that their bodies can fully utilize. Immunity starts in the gut, but it affects a pet’s entire body, including its oral and dental health.

Place that Amazon order for a doggie or kitty dental care kit, but don’t ignore what’s going into the food bowl. Supporting immunity from the inside out through nutrition is a crucial step in keeping breath fresh and preventing dental disease.

Your pets will appreciate it, and the resulting kisses will be a little more pleasant for you, too!

Click here to subscribe to our Pet Chat newsletter

WHAT: Join Dr. Roger Scaletti, Alltech mineral management program technical support and sales for North America, for a live webinar covering trace minerals, their role in livestock health and performance, and how they can be used to optimize herd health, udder health and reproduction. Scaletti will also discuss how to choose the right mineral and how form can play a substantial role in mineral retention.

Scaletti received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Pennsylvania State University in 1995 and his Ph.D. in animal science from the University of Kentucky in 2003. He has traveled around the world to discuss mineral nutrition and mastitis.

WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017

2:00 p.m. ET

WHERE: Reserve a spot now via this link. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you can register via the link to receive the recording.

OTHER: Scaletti’s presentation will be followed by a live question-and-answer session.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Dairy producers strive for long-term production and productivity with their herd, right from the start, and the pre-weaning growth of a dairy calf is a good indicator. While diarrhoea is one of the most common antagonists in issues with poor digestion and weight gain in calves, supplementing with Bio-Mos® has been shown to enhance performance and improve gut health.

A recent meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Anna Catharina Berge of Berge Veterinary Consulting BVBA concluded that Bio-Mos® supplementation in milk or milk replacer increased daily weight gain in dairy calves. These trials revealed, on average, 0.14 pounds improved weight gain per head per day in pre-weaned dairy calves, which corresponded to 8.37 pounds increased weight for calves weaned at two months of age. The long-term improved performance in heifers with improved pre-weaning growth would be equivalent to 220 pounds more milk in the first lactation, generating additional farm income, and improving gut health and digestive function.

“The results are a significant improvement in average daily weight gain,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer and vice president of corporate accounts at Alltech. “This improvement leads to greater returns for the producer through enhanced milk production, health and development, and long-term productivity.”

The meta-analysis included 23 cohort studies performed in the U.S.A., the United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, Peru, Poland, Spain, and Turkey between 1993 and 2012. Bio-Mos was supplemented at 2–10 grams per day, with an average inclusion of 3.8 grams per day. Twenty-one of the studies reported an increase in daily weight gain for calves fed Bio-Mos in milk or milk replacer compared to control calves.

For more information on Bio-Mos, visit http://go.alltech.com/bio-mos.