Using AI to improve barramundi farming

According to research from the University of Queensland, computer simulations may be key to bringing aquaculture into line with genetic advances being made in land-based agriculture.

Jessica Hintzsche, PhD candidate from UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), is using software to virtually model the genetic tools available to barramundi farming in collaboration with the ARC Research Hub for Supercharging Tropical Aquaculture at James Cook University and MainStream Aquaculture Group.

In doing so, Hintzsche is creating the farm’s virtual twin, a 3D digital replica that will allow researchers to run simulations and tests.

“The benefit of a digital twin is that we can test the impact of different genomic, breeding and production technologies such as parental selection and harvesting options before they are rolled out on the farm,” Hintzsche said.

In Australia’s north, aquaculture is currently valued at $223 million and has a projected value of $1.34 billion by 2030.

Though it is growing exponentially, the integration of genetic technologies into breeding programs is slow, with just 10% of fish farmed globally descending from genetically improved strains.

According to Hintzsche, the production of farmed fish is about to overtake wild-caught fish in fisheries.

“To meet demand and keep up with other agricultural industries, genetic tools need to be integrated into breeding programs,” she said.

Hintzsche said there are many benefits to using AI, including sustainability, and there is no limit on what can be modelled with the right data.

Image credit: Mainstream Aquaculture Group