Author: William Crawford
Major Program: Aquaculture
The global Aquaponics market is estimated to be worth $34 million in 2022. It is projected to increase to $65 million by 2028 according to globenswire.com. As an early adopter of emerging aquaculture technology, a nearly 250 gallon Aquaponics Demonstration Unit from the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center has been on display at multiple additional sites over the past two months. Viewed by thousands of potential stakeholders, this unit that was funded through the Small Farms Grant Progr
Author: Tifani McKay
Chris Ward and I delivered Tilapia to Hardinsburg, KY for an FFA workshop for the FFA leaders in Kentucky. The camp will have interested students teach the workshop to peers and explain the process. The fish and plants can then be harvested throughout the summer and used in various recipes.
Author: Janelle Hager
Intensive aquaculture and aquaponic farms are currently hindered by high investment and operational costs. These challenges are more pronounced in small-scale farming, creating not only a barrier of entry to limited resource farmers but also profitability of the farm. Feed costs are the most variable reoccurring expense and can represent up to 60% of operational costs for aquaculture farms (growing food fish in ponds or tanks) and ~40% in aquaponic farms (growing fish and hydroponic plants).&nbs
Interest in aquaponics is increasing across the country. In recent years, federal and state prison systems are increasingly interested in using aquaponics to reduce the recidivism rates of inmates by using this system to improve job skills, increase communication, provide hands-on educational opportunities, and address mental health issues among inmates. In addition to providing fresh vegetables to the cafeteria, aquaponic classes are being used as incentives for good behavior. Over the pas
Author: Jeffrey Warner
Created and present a poster on alternative methods to culture tilapia in existing bodies of water. this was during the World Aquaculture Society meeting in New Orleans, LA Feb 21-27 2023
Donated 25 smaller tilapia to Mary Stith to be used in a Aquaponic project she is doing with her FFA class at her school. Not only did I deliver the fish but also helped coach with possible system changes.
on June 13th 2023, I helped lead a dissection class for ~20 High schoole aged students from around the US. These students are here for the AG discovery Day. We demonstrated the external and internal differences of Largemouth Bass and KoiXGoldfish Hybrids.
Author: Robert Durborow
Success Story for Extension work done in collaboration between Kentucky State University Aquaculture Research Center and USDA ARS Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center in Arkansas.Dr. Robert Durborow, collaborating with KSU Aquaculture genetics researcher Dr. Boris Gomelsky and USDA ARS scientist Dr. David Straus, helped to facilitate a major Arkansas fish farm (Keo Fish Farm) to increase their hybrid striped bass production by 20% by implementing a new technique using milk to prevent f
In June 2023, a local farmer out of Eubank, KY contacted the laboratory when mass mortality occured at his fish farm. Initially the diagnosis was poor water quality due to high ammonia, but opportunistic pathogens, Edwardisella tarda, had also infected the fish. The first step was to improve water quality at the farm to decrease stress of the fish and help the fish respirate. Increased aeration was added and the farmer ceased feeding to decrease stress and provide more oxygen to the fish. O
Tifani McKay's thesis conclusion was that fish farmers in Kentucky were not using medicated feed due to the time it took to get it at their farm after a diagnosis was made. The solution for this issue was for KSU Aquaculture to become a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Distributor. A VFD Distributor can hold medicated feed at their facility and when a diagnosis is made and medicated feed is recommended and chosen by the farmer, a VFD can be obtained by a veterinarian and medicated feed can be
In October 2022, Vincent Teye, Tola Ogundipe, and I went to the Mayer Fish Farm in Cox Creek, KY to help sein and crowd largemouth bass to treat the fish for Flavobacterium columnare. We used a heavy concentration of salt and held them for 1 hour to inhibit the growth of the bacteria. The treatment reduced mortalities significantly and helped the farmers maintain healthy fish in their ponds. Vincent Teye is a graduate student in the Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences department at KState, and
