Feed requirement determination of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) using a hybrid method of bioenergetics factorial model and fuzzy logic control technology under outdoor pond culturing systems

In outdoor pond culturing systems, formulated feed is the most main nutrition source and expenditure. Improving the feeding management efficiency is of great significance for reducing economic losses and alleviate ecological environmental pollution. In recent years, with the development of precision agriculture and animal welfare rearing, providing appropriate feed quantity based on the nutrient requirements of fish has become an important developing trend. In this study, a hybrid method, combining the bioenergetics factorial model with fuzzy logic control technology, was proposed to predict the feed requirement of grass carp and construct a precision feeding control (PC) system in outdoor pond culturing conditions. First, prediction of the growth parameter of grass carp using the calibrated TGC (the thermal-unit growth coefficient) model in different growth stanzas; then, prediction of energy and nutrition demands based on the model of the bioenergetics factorial; and then, determination of the feed requirement and feed rate daily according to the nutrient composition of feed and apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of grass carp; finally, determination of the proportion of each feeding time in per day using fuzzy logic control technology (FLC) based on dissolved oxygen (DO) and water temperature (WT). In addition, the performance of the PC system and traditional feeding control (TC) system was evaluated by the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NS), the root mean squared error (RMSE), the water quality parameters, and fish growth parameters, respectively. The results indicated that the PC system was superior to that of the TC treatment for forecasting feed decisions, the NS was promoted 0.534 to 0.936 and the RMSE was reduced 22.512 to 10.973, respectively. Meanwhile, Compared the growth parameters of fish with TC treatment, it did not affect the growth performance of fish but promote it to a certain extent, and the feed conversion rate (FCR) of fish was decreased by 12.24% (P