Abstract
Perennial rye grass is a widely used forage species in Ireland, on which the ruminant sector of agriculture is heavily dependent. While this species of grass is the primary source of fodder for cows, it is also abundant in plant protein, which could form a potential alternative ingredient in monogastric animal feed using a green biorefinery approach. In this study, perennial rye grass was processed using a novel biorefining process to extract value added products including protein as a potential replacement for soybean meal in monogastric feeds. Feed trials were conducted on a commercial farm with 55 weaner pigs for 31 days until slaughter. The diets comprised a control and a trial diet which integrated the green biorefinery protein concentrate. The effects of the new diet were determined by measuring the daily feed intake (DFI), average weight gain (AWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Amino acid profiles of grass protein concentrate and soybean meal were comparable, with the latter having a slightly higher amount of total protein content, lysine and cysteine. The DFI and ADW indicated that the treatment diet was superior to the control. DFI for the treatment diet (1.512 kg/d) was 8% higher than the control diet (1.400 kg/d) by the end of the trial. Additionally, the ADW for the treatment diet was 6.44% higher than that achieved in the control sample. Meanwhile, FCR calculations indicated that the treatment diet is just as efficient as the conventional diet. Overall, the results of the study indicate positive potential for perennial ryegrass-derived green biorefinery protein concentrate as an alternative protein source for pig feed formulations in Ireland.
Highlights
The continuing exponential increase in population coupled with a growing consumer demand for edible protein has resulted in a significant intensification of agriculture over recent decades, raising questions about the sustainability of the livestock sector
Proximate analysis was performed to determine the different components in the green protein concentrate such as crude fibre, ash, protein, starch and total solids
A pig feed formulation which included green protein concentrate was found to be superior to soy-based pig diet
Summary
The continuing exponential increase in population coupled with a growing consumer demand for edible protein has resulted in a significant intensification of agriculture over recent decades, raising questions about the sustainability of the livestock sector. To meet this growing demand, the meat industry in Europe has become heavily dependent on the importation of protein-rich plant-based feed additives such as maize and soybean [1]. Ireland has a vibrant livestock industry comprising cattle, dairy, pig and poultry sectors [2] Sustaining this sector is reliant on imports of animal feed and related additives.
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