Rohu carp (Labeo rohita Hamilton) is a globally significant aquaculture species with over 2.0 Mt produced annually. In Bangladesh, it is the most abundantly cultured carp species. However, suboptimal genetic management of hatchery broodstock and a lack of genetically improved strains has historically resulted in the dissemination of rohu seed exhibiting poor performance. To address these issues, the family-based WorldFish Rohu Genetic Improvement Program (WFRGIP) was initiated with the spawning of a base population in 2014 (Figure 1). The WFRGIP aims to improve growth rate by 10% per generation.
In 2020, a multiplier population comprised of highly-ranked WFRGIP Generation 3 (G3) families was released to hatcheries in Bangladesh for development into broodstock. These G3 multiplier broodstock were spawned in commercial hatcheries for the first time in mid-2022. On-farm performance trials revealed that the 2020 G3 multiplier outperformed a well-regarded commercial strain and the WFRGIP unimproved control line (by 37%, on average) across 19 semi-commercial farms (Figure 2).