Abstract

The U.S. catfish industry is evolving by adopting intensive farming practices such as intensively aerated ponds and split-pond systems. The functional relationship between fish yield and key production inputs in these intensive systems was analyzed based on commercial catfish production data from 143 pond observations (2010−2018). A Cobb-Douglas production function was employed for the intensively aerated ponds and a modified translog production function was used to define the production relationships in split ponds. Results indicated that the size of fingerlings at stocking, stocking density, aeration rate, feeding rate, survival, and harvest size of the fish were statistically significant variables influencing fish production in intensively aerated ponds. Initial fingerling stocking biomass (interaction of stocking size and stocking density), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feeding rate, and pond size were the most important variables influencing production in split-pond systems. Feed fed, as well as stocking biomass, were the significant variables found in both models. Both production functions indicated further scope for improvement in the use of inputs to increase production, especially in feed management.

摘要

美国鲶鱼产业正在通过采用集约化养殖方式发展，例如集约曝气池和分池系统。根据来自 143 个池塘观测（2010-2018 年）的商业鲶鱼生产数据分析了这些集约化系统中鱼类产量和关键生产投入之间的功能关系。Cobb-Douglas 生产函数用于强曝气池，修改后的 translog 生产函数用于定义分池的生产关系。结果表明，放养鱼种的大小、放养密度、通气率、投喂率、成活率和鱼的收获大小是影响集约曝气池塘鱼类产量的统计学显着变量。初始鱼种放养生物量（放养大小和放养密度的相互作用），饲料转化率 (FCR)、投喂率和池塘大小是影响分池系统产量的最重要变量。饲料喂养以及放养生物量是两个模型中发现的重要变量。两种生产功能都表明在使用投入物以增加产量方面有进一步改进的空间，特别是在饲料管理方面。