MISSISSIPPI AQUATIC FEED PROJECT

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE TO DETERMINE THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF CONCENTRATING THE DILUTE NUTRIENTS IN FRESH DUCKWEED INTO A DRIED, STORABLE ANIMAL FEEDSTUFF PRODUCT BY REDUCING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF FRESH PLANTS FROM 95% TO 10%. DUCKWEEDS ARE FLOATING AQUATIC PLANTS BELONGING TO THE FAMILY LEMNACEAE, WHICH IF GROWN ON NUTRIENT RICH WATER, ARE RICH IN HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN, CAROTENOIDS AND ZANTHOPHYLL. DUCKWEED NUTRIENTS HAVE HEEN DEMONSTRATED AS VALUABLE INGREDIENTS IN ANIMAL FEEDS AND MAY HAVE POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN NUTRITION. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD GAINING INSIGHTS INTO THE TWO MAIN OPTIONS FOR CONCENTRATION OF THE DUCKWEED NUTRIENTS: (A) DESICCATION OF WHOLE AND MACERATED PLANTS AND (B) EXTRACTION OF NUTRIENTS, PRIMARILY BY COAGULATING PROTEIN AND OTHER NUTRIENTS WHICH COAGULATE ALONG WITH PROTEIN. CRETERIA FOR EVALUATING EACH TECHNIQUE WILL BE PROCESSING COST AND PRODUCT YIELD AND QUALITY. INSIGHTS GAINED DURING THIS RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE IF INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH ARE ]JUSTIFIED TO DEVELOP LARGE SCALE CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR THIS AGRICULTURALLY UNEXPLOITED PLANT. DUCKWEED PRODUCTION CAN BE AS MUCH AS THIRTY METRIC TONS PERHECTARE PER YEAR OF DRY WEIGHT MATERIAL, WHICH CAN SUBSTITUTE FOR SOY AND FISH MEAL IN POULTRY DIETS IN CONCENTRATIONS OF UP TO 25% BY WEIGHT. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE IF DUCKWEED NUTRIENTS CAN BE CONCENTRATED ECONOMICALLY AND WILL REMOVE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE COST OF POST HARVEST PROCESSING PRESENTLY CONSTRAINING INVESTMENTS IN LARGE SCALE COMMERCIALCROPPING OF THE PLANT. BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH GROWTH RATE AND HIGH VALUE NUTRIENTS, DUCKWEED HAS GREAT POTENTIAL IN THE COMBINED PROCESSES OF WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND AGRICULTURAL CROPPING.