Research work in Europe has concentrated on improving the larval rearing techniques in the hatchery and for on-growing. In the grow-out phase the main constrains is the length of time to harvest (>5 years) which may be reduced through selection for increased growth rate in a well designed selective breeding program.
The establishment of such a program requires
- methods for reliable production of a large number of full- and half-sib families
- mating procedures to avoid selfing and thus inbreeding
- technology for individual tagging of a large number of animals at an early age
- reliable estimates of genetic (co)variances for important economic traits like survival and growth
These objectives will be addressed by the PhD student Tove Leren.
