Net Food Production Research Articles

Feeding Byproduct-Based Concentrates Instead of Human-Edible Feed Ingredients Increases Net Food Production and Improves Performance of High-Producing Holstein Cows.

The effect of feeding greater amounts of byproducts (BP) as a replacement for human-edible (HE) feed ingredients on nutrient intake, chewing activity, rumen fermentation, production performance, human-edible feed conversion efficiency (HeFCE) and net food production (NFP) of high-producing Holstein cows was evaluated. Twelve multiparous Holstein cows (BW = 673 ± 44, DIM = 112 ± 8 d; 48 ± 2.25 kg/d of milk; mean ± SE) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 28-d periods. Each period consisted of 21 d of adaptation followed by 7 d of data collection. Treatments diets were (DM basis): (1) concentrate containing 26% byproducts (BP26; control); (2) concentrate containing 60% byproducts (BP60); and (3) concentrate containing 95% byproducts (BP95). Alfalfa hay (20% dietary DM) and corn silage (20% dietary DM) were included in all diets. Dietary concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), starch and ether extract (EE) were 32.1, 41.0, 26.14 and 3.4% (BP 26); 35.3, 36.0, 22.05 and 4.7% (BP60); and 38.2, 32.0, 17.96 and 6.1% (BP95), respectively (DM basis). Dry matter (22.07 kg/d) and NEL (35.16 Mcal/d) intakes did not differ among treatments. However, ether extract and NDF intakes increased, whereas starch intake decreased linearly as BP ingredients increasingly replaced HE feed ingredients. Eating time was not affected by dietary treatment, but ruminating and total chewing time tended to increase with increasing amounts of BP. Replacing HE with BP ingredients did not affect rumen pH. An increased proportion of BP ingredients in the diet linearly decreased propionate, isobutyrate, isovalerate and valerate concentrations in the rumen and increased acetate concentration and the acetate to propionate ratio. Replacing HE with BP ingredients did not affect milk yield. The yield of 3.5% FCM (39.12, 40.14 and 41.33 kg/d for BP26, BP60 and BP95, respectively) and fat content (2.95, 2.99 and 3.13 % for BP26, BP60 and BP95, respectively) linearly increased. Substituting BP ingredients for HE feed ingredients increased unsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, stearic acid, oleic acid and preformed fatty acids but decreased saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid, de novo and mixed fatty acids. Replacing HE with BP feed ingredients increased human-edible efficiency (HeFCE) for crude protein (1.06, 1.66 and 4.14 kg/kg edible for BP26, BP60 and BP95, respectively) and for energy (2.27, 3.62 and 9.22 MJ/MJ edible for BP26, BP60 and BP95, respectively) and also net food production (NFP) for crude protein (0.064, 0.52, and 1.00 kg/d for BP26, BP60, and BP95, respectively) and energy (62.8, 83.0 and 104.7 MJ/d for BP26, BP60 and BP95, respectively). Feeding byproduct-based concentrates instead of human-edible feed ingredients increase human-edible feed conversion efficiency (HeFCE), net food production (NFP) and improved the performance of high-producing Holstein cows.

Feeding corn germ instead of corn grain on the performance of Holstein dairy cows fed low-forage diet and human-edible feed conversion efficiency

Using corn germ (CG) instead of corn grain could maintain dairy cow performance and might increase the efficiency of human food production. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing corn grain with CG on the performance, nutrient intake, and digestibility of dairy cows. It also aimed to investigate the effect of CG on the efficiency of human food production in high-producing Holstein dairy cows in early lactation. Nine multiparous Holstein cows with 65.6 ± 8.5 DIM, milk yield of 55.6 ± 4.5 kg/d, and body weight of 611.3 ± 43.3 kg (mean ± SD) were used in a 3 × 3 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Treatments were (1) control treatment (CT, diet contains corn grain), (2) alternative treatment (AT, diet where corn grain was replaced with CG), and (3) balanced treatment (BT, diet where corn grain was replaced with CG but with the same energy content as CT). Control and balanced diets were isoenergetic (6.61 MJ/kg of DM); however, AT had higher energy (6.77 MJ/kg of DM). Treatments had no effect on dry and organic matter intake. NDF intake, however, was higher in CG diets compared with CT (P = 0.0001). Total-tract digestibility of DM tended to be reduced (P = 0.08), and OM digestibility was reduced (P = 0.05) by the inclusion of CG in diets. Whole and energy-corrected milk production were greater in AT compared with CT and BT (P < 0.05). Milk yield was similar in cows fed CT and BT. Treatments had no effect on milk composition or feed efficiency. Diet CT, when compared with CG diets, had lower efficiency in terms of human-edible feed conversion efficiency (HeFCE) and net food production (P < 0.05). Diet BT had greater HeFCE and net production of human-edible CP than AT (P < 0.05). Plasma BHBA, non-esterified fatty acids, and glucose concentrations were not affected by treatments, but plasma cholesterol was higher in cows that consumed CG diets (P = 0.04). The results indicate that, in high-producing early lactation dairy cows fed high concentrate diets, net food protein production can be substantially improved without lowering milk production through the reduction of dietary starch from 30.2 to 24.8% by replacing corn grain with CG.

Eco-efficiency of farms considering multiple functions of agriculture: Concept and results from Austrian farms

Besides producing food for humanity’s nutrition, agriculture also fulfills other functions such as providing a livelihood for farmers and preserving an attractive and biodiverse landscape. These functions of agriculture were considered in a novel eco-efficiency assessment concept applied to Austrian farms within this study. The joint application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate Austrian farms’ eco-efficiency. Data from 47 farms from different farm types (crop production, milk production, beef production, and wine production) were used to implement the concept. Cumulative exergy demand (CExD), global warming potential (GWP), normalized eutrophication potential (EP), and aquatic ecotoxicity potential (AE) were included as environmental impacts in an LCA and were consequently used as input values for the DEA. Considering multiple functions of agriculture, the farm net income (FNI), the net food production of crude protein and human-edible energy, and High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) were selected as output variables for the DEA. Results show that the purchase of resources causes a substantial share of environmental impacts, highlighting the importance of efficient utilization of on-farm resources. The results further revealed the use of high amounts of human-edible energy and protein as animal feed to cause lower eco-efficiency scores of livestock keeping farms (i.e., milk production and beef production). Overall, the eco-efficiency of farms depends on the fulfillment of different functions of agriculture, and individual strategies for improvement could be identified.

Improvement of Oxidative Status, Milk and Cheese Production, and Food Sustainability Indexes by Addition of Durum Wheat Bran to Dairy Cows’ Diet

Simple SummaryIn the near future, the expected increase in world population will enhance feed versus food competition between animals and humans to face the increasing demand by humans. For this reason, it is of paramount importance to feed ruminants with sources alternative to those representing themselves foods for humans. Durum wheat bran (DWB), similar to other by-products of the agri-food industry, can meet this need, its fiber content is high and represents also a remarkable source of phenolic acids, especially ferulic acid. This compound exerts antioxidant properties improving the health status of animals, and allows the production of functional foods more and more requested by consumers. Accordingly, this experiment demonstrated the suitability of using DWB for dairy cows feeding, because it led to clear advantages in terms of oxidative status of animals, quality of dairy products, and feeding costs. Furthermore, DWB improved the human-edible feed conversion efficiency reducing the use of human-edible feed.Durum wheat bran (DWB) is a by-product mostly used in feeding ruminants, contributing to decrease in the utilization of feeds suitable as foods for human consumption, thus improving the sustainability of livestock production. However, the potential benefits of DWB, due to its content in phenolic acids, mainly consisting of ferulic acid with antioxidant properties, have not been well clarified yet. Accordingly, in this experiment, 36 lactating cows divided into three groups received, over a period of 100 days, one of three concentrates including DWB at 0% (DWB0), 10% (DWB10), or 20% (DWB20). The concentrates were formulated to be isoproteic and isoenergetic and, to balance the higher fiber content of the concentrates with DWB, the hay in the diets was slightly reduced. During the trial, the group feed intake and the individual milk production were monitored, and cheese was made with bulk milk from each group. Milk yield and microbiological characteristics of milk and cheese were similar among groups, indicating no DWB effect on cows performance and fermentation process. Milk from DWB20 group resulted slightly higher in casein and curd firmness (a2r). In cows fed DWB, the higher polyphenol intake was responsible for higher blood contents of these bioactive compounds, that seemed to have contributed in reducing the level of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), which were higher in DWB0 cows. DWB20 cheeses showed a higher polyphenol content, lower number of peroxides, and higher antioxidant capacity than DWB0 cheeses. DWB20 and DWB10 diets resulted less expensive. In addition, the DWB20 group showed the best indexes heFCE (human edible feed conversion efficiency = milk/human edible feed) and NFP (net food production = milk − human edible food), expressed as crude protein or gross energy. In conclusion, the DWB fed to dairy cows at 12% of diet dry matter (DM) can lead to benefits, such as the improvement of oxidative status of cows, milk quality, shelf-life, and functional properties of cheese, and might contribute to reduce the feeding cost and limit the human-animal competition for feeding sources.

Replacing human-edible feed ingredients with by-products increases net food production efficiency in dairy cows

Global demand for food is increasing, and use of large amounts of potentially human-edible feedstuffs for dairy cows is an important concern. The present study examined whether feeding a by-product-based concentrate combined with high-quality grass silage to high-producing dairy cows affected feed intake and milk production compared with a conventional diet, as well as the effect on efficiency of human food production. In a changeover experiment with four 21-d periods, 24 dairy cows in mid-lactation were offered 9.6 kg of dry matter per day with 1 of 4 concentrates and high-quality grass silage ad libitum. The control concentrate was based on cereal grain (wheat, oat, and barley) and soybean meal, whereas the 3 by-product-based concentrates contained sugar beet pulp in combination with mainly heat-treated rapeseed meal, distillers grain, or a mixture of both. All diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous. The cows had 10-fold higher starch intake when fed the control diet than when fed the by-product-based concentrates. Silage intake (13 kg of dry matter/d) and milk production (33 kg of energy-corrected milk/d) were not affected by the change in diet. Therefore, replacing cereals and soybean meal with human-inedible by-products in a high-quality forage diet to dairy cows increased net food protein production substantially without lowering milk production.

Feeding of molassed sugar beet pulp instead of maize enhances net food production of high-producing Simmental cows without impairing metabolic health

Molassed sugar beet pulp (Bp) is a human inedible by-product of the sugar industry being a suitable dietary energy alternative to grains particularly in terms of increasing the net food production efficiency of high-producing dairy cattle. However, there are concerns that feeding large amounts of Bp can limit cow’s feed intake, jeopardizing both the production performance and metabolic health especially of high-producing dairy cows that have high energy needs. In the present study dietary inclusion of Bp as a substitute for maize grain was tested in a longitudinal block-randomized experimental design in early lactation high-yielding Simmental cows. The Bp inclusion rates were 0 g/kg (i.e., no Bp inclusion as control), 120 g/kg (12Bp), or 240 g/kg (24Bp) on a dry matter basis. The replacement of maize grain with Bp reduced the human edible input from 135.4 MJ GE/d in the control diet to 50.7 MJ GE/d in the 24Bp diet (P < 0.001). Feed and energy intake (P = 0.693), milk yield (P = 0.457) as well as energy corrected milk (P = 0.425) were maintained constant throughout the trial. As a result dietary inclusion of Bp turned a net food loss with feeding the control diet into a net food gain with dietary inclusion of 120 and 240 g/kg Bp (P < 0.001). The energy balance and blood metabolites were unaffected by the dietary treatments (P> 0.05), whereas dietary fibre digestibility was linearly improved (P = 0.038) with Bp feeding, indicating enhanced rumen health and functioning with Bp feeding. In conclusion, feeding molassed sugar beet pulp as partial substitution of maize until 240 g/kg is a viable alternative that can improve net food production without impairing the cows’ production performance and the metabolic health status of cows while improving the digestibility of fibre.

A meta-analysis of feeding sugar beet pulp in dairy cows: Effects on feed intake, ruminal fermentation, performance, and net food production

Feeding of industrial by-products such as sugar beet pulp (Bp) is an economically viable option in dairy production, but high inclusion rates might impair feed intake and performance of the cows. The present meta-analysis was performed to evaluate inclusion of Bp in dairy cow diets taking into account inclusion rate of Bp, feed intake and production levels of the cows, concentrate level in the diet and replacement aim of Bp (i.e., grain type and forage replaced). Effects on dry matter intake (DMI), ruminal fermentation, and milk production variables as well as on net food production, as a measure of sustainability, were determined using meta-analysis and meta-regression approaches. Data were extracted from 34 different studies published from 1990 to 2016, comprising a total of 103 dietary treatments. The effect of Bp on DMI depended largely (P=0.016) on the feed intake level of cows. DMI decreased with increasing Bp inclusion level in cows with a high feed intake level (>3.5% of BW), but not in cows with a low intake level (≤3.5% of BW), noted by an interaction between Bp level and feed intake level (P=0.015). Bp inclusion had no effect on milk yield (P=0.514) but increased milk fat yield (P=0.004) and fat-corrected milk yield (P=0.002). Effects of Bp on milk production variables were independent of the dietary concentrate level as well as the replacement aim. Ruminal pH increased (P=0.046) but only when Bp was fed at a level of >200g/kg of diet DM. There were interactions between the Bp inclusion and the dietary concentrate level for molar percentages of propionate (P=0.008) and butyrate (P=0.021) and, to a lesser extent, for acetate (P=0.057), with acetate and propionate being altered by Bp only in high concentrate diets. All variables related to net food production including kg milk/MJ human edible energy input (P=0.002) or g milk protein/g human edible protein input (P=0.027) were strongly improved by feeding of Bp. In conclusion, the effect of Bp as a feedstuff for dairy cows depends on the cow’s feed intake and production level, whereby high inclusion rates of Bp seem to be particularly beneficial in cows in which the feed intake level does not exceed 3.5% of BW.

Effects of supplementation of a forage-only diet with wheat bran and sugar beet pulp in organic dairy cows

AbstractAlthough levels of concentrate supplementation are generally lower in organic as compared with conventional dairy cows, forage-only (FO) diets are not very common in organic dairy cows because of the resulting limited dry matter intake (DMI) and lower milk production. However, from the perspective of net food production, FO diets or forage diets supplemented only with by-products from the food processing industry, offer considerable potential because they do not compete with humans for food. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the effects of adding a mixture of wheat bran and dried sugar beet pulp [0.56:0.44 on a dry matter (DM) basis] to a FO diet on DMI, milk production, chewing activity and production efficiency. Seventeen multiparous and three primiparous mid-lactation Holstein cows were randomly assigned to one of two treatments, receiving either a FO mixture with hay and grass silage in equal proportions (FO) or the same forage mixture supplemented with a mixture of wheat bran and dried sugar beet pulp at a rate of 25% of dietary DM (25%BP). The experiment was conducted in a change-over design with two experimental periods of 7 and 6 weeks, respectively. Overall, feeding the 25%BP diet increased DMI and energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield by 1.8 kg d−1 as compared with cows fed FO. Feed conversion efficiency (kg ECM per kg DMI) and energy efficiency (kg ECM per 10 MJ net energy for lactation intake) were higher in FO, but cows fed FO were in a slightly negative energy balance and also tended to have a higher mobilization of body tissues as compared with cows fed 25%BP. In comparison with FO, cows receiving 25%BP showed less chewing activity per kg DMI or per kg neutral detergent fiber ingested. In conclusion, results from this feeding trial showed that adding wheat bran and dried sugar beet pulp to a FO diet increased DMI and milk yield and improved the energy balance when compared with a FO diet, although the magnitude of the milk yield response was lower than expected.

Feeding of wheat bran and sugar beet pulp as sole supplements in high-forage diets emphasizes the potential of dairy cattle for human food supply

Besides the widely discussed negative environmental effects of dairy production, such as greenhouse gas emissions, the feeding of large amounts of potentially human-edible feedstuffs to dairy cows is another important sustainability concern. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of a complete substitution of common cereal grains and pulses with a mixture of wheat bran and sugar beet pulp in a high-forage diet on cow performance, production efficiency, feed intake, and ruminating behavior, as well as on net food production potential. Thirteen multiparous and 7 primiparous mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments in a change-over design with 7-wk periods. Cows were fed a high-forage diet (grass silage and hay accounted for 75% of the dry matter intake), supplemented with either a cereal grain-based concentrate mixture (CON), or a mixture of wheat bran and dried sugar beet pulp (WBBP). Human-edible inputs were calculated for 2 different scenarios based on minimum and maximum potential recovery rates of human-edible energy and protein from the respective feedstuffs. Dietary starch and neutral detergent fiber contents were 3.0 and 44.1% for WBBP, compared with 10.8 and 38.2% in CON, respectively. Dietary treatment did not affect milk production, milk composition, feed intake, or total chewing activity. However, chewing index expressed in minutes per kilogram of neutral detergent fiber ingested was 12% lower in WBBP compared with CON. In comparison to CON, the human-edible feed conversion efficiencies for energy and protein, defined as human-edible output per human-edible input, were 6.8 and 5.3 times higher, respectively, in WBBP under the maximum scenario. For the maximum scenario, the daily net food production (human-edible output minus human-edible input) increased from 5.4MJ and 250g of crude protein per cow in CON to 61.5MJ and 630g of crude protein in the WBBP diet. In conclusion, our data suggest that in forage-based dairy production systems, wheat bran and sugar beet pulp could replace common cereal grains in mid-lactation dairy cows without impairing performance, while strongly increasing human-edible feed conversion efficiency and net food production index.

The net contribution of dairy production to human food supply: The case of Austrian dairy farms

Due to their ability to convert human-inedible fibrous plant materials into high quality animal products, ruminants have always played an important role as net food producers. However, to meet the animals' nutritional requirements, today's rations for high yielding dairy cows also contain substantial amounts of potentially human-edible feeds (e.g. cereals and pulses), which increases competition between animal feed and human food availability. The aim of the present study was therefore to calculate the human-edible feed conversion efficiency (heFCE) for 30 Austrian dairy farms operating under different production systems in order to evaluate their contribution to net food production. The heFCE was calculated at farm gate level on a gross energy and crude protein basis, and was defined as potentially human-edible output in the form of animal products (milk and meat) divided by the input of potentially human-edible feedstuffs. The potentially human-edible fraction of all feedstuffs used on the 30 farms was estimated based on available literature using a “low,” “medium,” and “high” scenario, representing low, average, and above average extraction rates of human-edible nutrients from feedstuffs, respectively. The human-edible fraction ranged from 0% for some fibrous feedstuffs up to 100% for some cereals in the high scenario. For the “medium” scenario, heFCE ranged from 0.50 up to 2.95 for energy and from 0.47 up to 2.15 for protein. About half of the analysed farms showed a heFCE below 1, indicating a net loss in food supply. For both energy and protein, heFCE was negatively correlated with the amount of concentrates per kg milk and the total amount of concentrates per cow and year. In addition, we found a positive correlation between heFCE and the area of grassland utilized per ton of milk, as well as a negative correlation between heFCE and the area of arable land required per ton of milk. Therefore, feeding large amounts of concentrates to dairy cows has to be questioned in terms of the heFCE. The results of this study clearly show that grass-based dairy production highly contributes to net food production, particularly if the amount of concentrates per kg milk is reduced.

Can the tropical Western and Central Pacific tuna purse seine fishery contribute to Pacific Island population food security?

Projected population growth in Pacific Island countries, combined with their narrow resource base, declines in net food production per capita and growing reliance on imported foods, will increase their food insecurity. We examined whether policies requiring retention of edible, non-target catches by the Western and Central Pacific purse seine fishery could aid food security in seven Pacific Island countries. Estimated catches within respective Exclusive Economic Zones imply average annual per capita protein benefits from 270 g in Papua New Guinea to 25 kg in Tuvalu. Stability of supply is affected by annual catch fluctuations; the two countries with greatest potential per capita protein gains, Nauru and Tuvalu, experience a 50 and 20 % reduction, respectively, in supply in poor years. Access to benefits is affected by practicalities of landing port location, food distribution networks and communication links, particularly for countries comprised of many islands. Only five of seven countries examined, which exclude the two with greatest potential per capita benefit, have significant tuna landings directly into their ports. Specific policy mechanisms may be required to increase non-target catch access. While marine resources have a significant part to play in improving food security, use of non-target catch will not solve food insecurity alone. The tradeoffs between maximising economic benefits from licensing industrial tuna purse seine fishing versus the potential use of the resource for consumptive use, and the potential social impacts that may result, are critical national and regional policy issues facing Pacific Island countries.

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