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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219054
Title: Impact of weather on off-flavor episodes at a Louisiana commercial catfish farm.

Author
item Hurlburt, Barry
item Brashear, Suzanne
item Lloyd, Steven
item Grimm, Casey
item Thomson, Jessica
item Zimba, Paul

Submitted to: Aquaculture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/29/2008
Publication Date: 3/1/2009
Citation: Hurlburt, B.K., Brashear, S.S., Lloyd, S.W., Grimm, C.C., Thomson, J.L, Zimba, P.V. 2009. The impact of weather on off-flavor episodes at a Louisiana commercial catfish farm. Aquaculture Research. 40(5):566-574.

Interpretive Summary: The catfish industry is hampered by off-flavor events that affect timely sale and pond restocking. In this study, weather data was correlated with geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol levels in 21 commercial ponds. Samples were collected weekly for 44 weeks. The off-flavor compounds, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Weather data was collected near the catfish farm; and included maximum and minimum air temperature, rainfall, average wind velocity, maximum and minimum humidity, and maximum and minimum soil temperature. Descriptive statistics were applied for analysis.

Technical Abstract: The catfish aquaculture industry is hampered by off-flavor events that affect timely sale and pond restocking. In this study, weather data was correlated with geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol levels in 21 commercial ponds. Samples were collected weekly for 44 weeks. The off-flavor compounds, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Weather data was collected near the catfish farm; and included maximum and minimum air temperature, rainfall, average wind velocity, maximum and minimum humidity, and maximum and minimum soil temperature. Geosmin was weakly and positively correlated with air and soil temperatures, and weakly and negatively correlated with wind velocity and maximum humidity. Conversely, 2-methlisoborneol was strongly and positively correlated with air and soil temperatures, moderately and negatively correlated with wind velocity, and weakly and positively correlated with rainfall and maximum humidity. There were no bivariate relationships between rainfall, minimum humidity, or pond size and levels of either off-flavor compound.