Cross-cutting Research

In addition to specific research activities implemented at prime sites in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, this work plan includes, for the first time, work plans for cross-cutting research. Cross-cutting research is research that may be conducted at one or more PD/A CRSP sites, and whose results may have more immediate, wider application than results from prime and companion site investigations. This research builds upon and expands research results obtained through earlier PD/A CRSP research. Work plans are presented for five research themes of cross-cutting research: Pond Dynamics; Reproduction Control; Marketing and Economic Analysis; Decision Support Systems; and Aquaculture Systems Modeling.

While this is the first work plan in which cross-cutting research is presented separately, this is not the first time that the PD/A CRSP has executed research in these areas. In fact, research in the identified cross-cutting areas has been conducted since the inception of the PD/A CRSP. The Global Experiment has been a component of every PD/A CRSP work plan implemented to date. Using a standardized research protocol and two common experimental animals, the Nile tilapia and penaeid shrimp, the Global Experiment has focused on pond oxygen and nutrient dynamics. In the present work plan, the Global Experiment continues to elucidate pond oxygen and nutrient dynamics. Results of the current Global Experiment should contribute substantial information towards identifying the optimal use of nitrogen fertilizer in ponds located in diverse eco-geographic zones.

Control of tilapia reproduction during the grow-out phase in ponds also has been the focus of previous PD/A CRSP research. Earlier tilapia reproduction control research concentrated on sex inversion of newly hatched tilapia through oral administration of an androgen incorporated into the formulated ration fed to the fish. Other research resulted in improved systems of producing newly hatched tilapia fry for sex inversion. Research described in this work plan to control tilapia reproduction continues to focus on production of monosex populations of fish, but explores alternative methodologies, particularly those that seek to minimize androgen usage.

Marketing and economic analyses are fundamental to the development of new aquacultural management systems and are used to evaluate the impact of public moneys spent to fund such research. Economic analyses have been incorporated into prime and companion site research plans for a number of years, but have not included risk analysis. Research to be conducted as part of this work plan evaluates risk associated with PD/A CRSP pond management strategies, and quantifies economic and social returns to technology and investments.

Development of decision support systems has long been a PD/A CRSP research area. PONDCLASS, the first generation decision support system developed by the PD/A CRSP, was later refined to POND^©. Research to be conducted as part of this work plan will draw upon research results from other areas of cross-cutting research such as pond dynamics, economics and marketing, and aquaculture systems modeling, as well as from research implemented at the prime and companion sites.

PD/A CRSP research efforts in aquaculture systems modeling during this work plan will concentrate on improving existing water quality models so they can be used to assess the impacts of water quality on pond production, effluent quality and the environment. The focus of this research during the current work plan will be to quantify how pond sediments affect water quality dynamics. Results of research conducted as part of the pond dynamics area of cross-cutting research, and of experiments implemented at the PD/A CRSP sites will provide important supportive data for the aquaculture systems modeling effort.