The Ohio State University Aquaculture Research Center has developed the third generation of improved lines of yellow perch. On-farm testing of the genetically improved fish is under way. Four geographic locations at different latitudes were selected for the test: two research farms/stations at OSU Aquaculture Research Center in Piketon, OH (39°N), and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, Stevens Point, WI (46°N), and two commercial farms at Millcreek Perch Farms, Marysville, OH (40.5°N), and Coolwater Farms, LLC Deerfield, WI (43°N). Selected sites are raising the fish side-by-side in replicated ponds with the same sized fingerlings of the species from their farm. We are conducting two types of tests: 1) rearing the improved fish and the control line of fish in separate ponds, each having two replicates; 2) raising improved fish and the control line of fish in two communal ponds to avoid environmental effects, and using molecular markers to assign improved and control fish to their family of origin for trait comparison. In fall of the first year, we will harvest all of the ponds and evaluate the key production parameters of fingerling production (e.g., survival, growth, feed conversion). In the second year, we will harvest all of the ponds and evaluate the key production parameters for raising the two groups of fish to market size (e.g., survival, growth, feed conversion for separate rearing). On-site demonstration evaluation will be held to disseminate testing results at harvest. At the completion of this project, we expect to distribute some of our improved strains to fish farmers in the North Central Region. This project is being funded by North Central Region Aquaculture Center.
