DLSU developed a hardware and a system for harvesting and drying lab-lab to make it available for use year-round. The researchers developed the lab-lab biomass as a cost-competitive feedstock for milkfish fingerlings. This involved the design and fabrication of an automated machine vision-based capable of harvesting the algal mat. Drying characteristics of lab-lab have been investigated and the dried materials were transformed into powder form which were used in the feeding trials. The automated harvester accurately identified and collected the lab-lab. Convective drying was the most feasible method. A combination of 25% lab-lab and 75% formulated diet generated the best fish growth for milkfish fingerlings. The viability of lab-lab as a cost competitive aquafeed will significantly reduce the overall production cost of milkfish which will both help farmers and milkfish producers increase profitability.
