Selective breeding program for genetic improvement of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in Thailand.

Abstract

Although the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) has been domesticated in Thailand for over decades, appropriate selective breeding program has yet to be achieved. Good quality seeds for the Machrobrachium aquaculture industry is therefore not regularly produced. One of the selective breeding programs on improving growth performance of the domesticated strain have been carried out at the Aquatic Animal Genetics Research and Development Institute (AAGRDI), Department of Fisheries of Thailand. AAGRDI has now developed improved and domesticated stock of Macrobrachium rosenbergii for two generations. Meanwhile, domesticated stocks from private hatcheries have also been acquired.

There is, therefore, the need to develop another improved stock of this species basically from these two domesticated stocks together with a wild stock in order to improve the genetic diversity of the base population for further selective breeding program. Macrobrachium wild stock has been domesticated under hatchery conditions at the AAGRDI for one generation. Generally, a good base population for genetic improvement program requires high genetic variation as well as an ideally suitable stock that can be well adapted for each of different local environments. Therefore, all proper crosses of these three stocks need to be cultured in different areas of the country and then evaluated on both performance and genetic variation before selective breeding program takes place.