Abstract
Green biomass is a major potential source of proteins for food and feed. This pre-feasibility study evaluates the use of green biomass of buckwheat, phacelia, hemp and oilseed radish grown as intermediate crops (IC) as a feedstock for production of protein concentrates to produce protein-rich food and feed products. We investigated the biomass yield, protein concentration and protein recovery potential of non-fertilized IC, nitrogen-fertilized IC and IC intercropped with legumes, harvested in late summer to autumn during 2017 and 2018 in southern Sweden. In addition, economic assessment of potential protein and fibre feed and food products were evaluated. The results showed that IC fertilized with 40 kg ha−1 N and intercropping with legumes contributed to a higher biomass dry matter (DM) yield of 4.9–5.8 t ha−1 as compared to between 2.2 and 3.1 t ha−1 for non-fertilized IC. Intercropping with legumes also resulted in higher protein yield of 154 g kg−1 vs. 103 g kg−1 for non-fertilized IC. Among IC, hemp, phacelia and oilseed radish showed up to ca. 25% higher DM yield and up to ca. 70% higher protein concentration as compared to buckwheat. Higher DM yield was obtained when IC were harvested in October and November than in August and September. Economic assessment was made on two feasible protein production pathways; (A) Green and white proteins and (B) total recoverable combined protein fraction (CPF). For all IC, cost per t DM was higher in August due to lower biomass yield as compared to other harvesting months. Nitrogen concentration was the main factor determining the size of revenues. Nitrogen concentration was 34% higher in 2018 compared to 2017 and therefore resulted in higher revenues in that year. Intercropping resulted in higher protein content and therefore contributed to lower breakeven prices of recovered green proteins for all IC. Breakeven price analyses showed that green protein and CPF were economically feasible to market as both bulk and premium products depending on lower (≤2 € kg−1) or higher (2–10 € kg−1) price ranges, respectively. The results demonstrate that use of IC biomass could be a feasible option to produce high value protein-rich products, which can contribute extra income from IC for farmers.
Highlights
The diet patterns of modern society are rapidly changing
Cultivation of intermediate crops (IC) in 2018 resulted in both significantly higher dry matter (DM) yield and protein concentration than when IC were grown in 2017 (Table 4), which might be the result of irrigation applied in regular intervals in 2018 due to unusual dry weather conditions as compared to those in 2017
High DM yield per hectare was obtained when IC were harvested in October and November, with significantly higher harvest in October than in August and September, while no impact of harvest date was noted for protein concentration (Table 4)
Summary
The diet patterns of modern society are rapidly changing. Plant-sourced protein-rich diets are increasingly replacing meat, and modern food alternatives with a balanced content of nutrients are gaining increasing attention (Kumar et al, 2017; Rosenfeld and Burrow, 2017). The changes in diet patterns are largely related to i) a perception that food consumption choices influence public health, ii) a desire to manage body weight (Rosenfeld and Burrow, 2017) and iii) ethical and environmental concerns regarding meat production (Scho€sler et al, 2012). This change in food choices may require an altered or increased production of crops containing suitable protein for human consumption. Increased plant-based protein production requires either an increased yield per hectare or an increased use of agricultural biomass that is currently not used to produce plant protein-rich products. Opportunities to use already available biomass, currently
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