The benefits of Duckweed/ or lack of benefits???.

[urbanfarmer]

#1, Duckweed while seemingly easy to grow and relatively cheap to produce, (compared to some other fish foods), is not a miracle food that will replace all of your feed cost with a FREE food. Duckweed can however, be beneficial if feed as a supplement along with other quality fish feeds.

TRUE. The "miracle food" phenomenon is simply human wonder and awe at nature. An almost microscopic organism can replicate itself in standing water with no visible input aside from the sun. This 1 lone duckweed can reproduce into millions, billions of plants that are edible and high in protein. Most plants, if first learned about, would elicit the same wonder. This is not a bad thing, it's a sign of human intelligence.

#2, Whether duckweed is economical or worth the time and effort and expense to grow for YOU, is going to depend on your individual situation and many local, environmental, economical, etc. circumstances.

TRUE. This is simply a shift in your paradigm of what you thought about duckweed before and how you've learned to view the economics of a system from a for-profit business viewpoint. GREAT!

#3, Thus far based on the limited information we have on duckweed, it would be difficult to accurately put a number on what the exact $$$ value of duckweed is.
To be quite honest, I do not have the needed time or desire to carry out such an exhaustive study to determine this exact $$$ amount of value in duckweed. This is why I was hoping to learn this information from some of you who are actively using and feeding DW. Everyone is certainly free to make their own decision, as to the benefits of duckweed in their particular AP system. What I have seen, thus far, has led me to believe, if I have the spare time to experiment with duckweed it would be worth the effort, as there is potential for some benefits.
Now having said that, I would not have high hopes going into that experiment of large $$$ gains in feed production. My best hopes in such an experiment, would be to provide a supplement that may slightly lower my feed cost, but more importantly, would provide me with healthier fish. But that is just me, you need to make up your own mind based on your unique situation.
Again UF, thank you for your informative post on the subject. As for labeling my duckweed "ORGANIC", yea I will get right on that, and wait for the USDA folks to show up, handcuffs in hand!!!!

I understand not having time to invest into a full investigation into duckweed. However, I think I and others here have communicated the burden of growing duckweed a little too heavy handed. Duckweed, as the name suggests, grows like a noxious weed. It knows how to survive, out compete, and gather resources from its environment without much human input. Take a party cup and fill it with water and some duckweed. Manage that cup until you can get that sucker at capacity. Make sure you can harvest 1/2 or 1/3 of it and it comes back in 2-3 days. Upgrade to a 5 gallon bucket after that. Try it indoors/outdoors. Manage these little systems when you are having a beer or whatever. Make it something you enjoy and that doesn't impact your busy schedule, but instead augments your personal life with fun and distraction and learning... Just my 2 cents on that

Back to commercial, how expensive would it be to dig out a long trench, let's say 4' x 100' x 1.5' deep and then put down a nice thick pond liner. Fill it with water, duckweed, and some mosquito fish (or whatever, you can even incorporate koi or something at low densities for supplemental/residual income streams). Some monitoring of water quality is required, sure, but not much. Harvest is quick and easy and requires no special training (like scooping poop, very easy). THEY DO THIS IN 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES WHERE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY AND AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES ARE LIMITED OR ABSENT. I don't see duckweed as creating anything short of a benefit, BUT what is the opportunity cost??? What else could you have built there, in place of that duckweed trench? What do you think?