Feeding Canola, Camelina, and Carinata Meals to Ruminants

Assessment of the Nutritional Benefits and Aflatoxin B1 Adsorption Properties of Blackberry Seed Cold-Pressed Oil By-Product

This study explores the potential valorization of blackberry seed oil cake (BBSOC), a by-product of cold-pressed blackberry seed oil (Rubus fruticosus L.), as a nutritionally valuable material with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) adsorption properties. The chemical and mineral composition, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity of BBSOC flour were assessed. BBSOC was found to be a significant source of fiber (62.09% dry weight) and essential minerals such as Fe (123.48 mg/kg), Mg (1281.40 mg/kg), K (3087.61 mg/kg), and Ca (1568.41 mg/kg). The high polyphenol content, especially ellagic acid, highlighted its biologically active potential. Moreover, BBSOC demonstrated effective biosorption of AFB1 under in vitro conditions at 37 °C, with adsorption efficiencies of 85.36% and 87.01% at pH 3 and 7, respectively. Characterization techniques including SEM, FTIR analysis, Boehm titration, and pH zero charge determination confirmed its AFB1 adsorbing properties. This valorization process reintroduces a secondary product into the food chain, supporting the circular economy and zero-waste concepts. Thus, BBSOC is nutritionally rich and effective in AFB1 biosorption, presenting potential applications as a food or feed additive.

Farm Animal Welfare-From the Farmers' Perspective

Improvements in the welfare of animals in the intensive production industries are increasingly being demanded by the public. Scientific methods of welfare improvement have been developed and are beginning to be used on farms, including those provided by precision livestock farming. The number of welfare challenges that animals are facing in the livestock production industries is growing rapidly, and farmers are a key component in attempts to improve welfare because their livelihood is at stake. The challenges include climate change, which not only exposes animals to heat stress but also potentially reduces forage and water availability for livestock production systems. Heat-stressed animals have reduced welfare, and it is important to farmers that they convert feed to products for human consumption less efficiently, their immune system is compromised, and both the quality of the products and the animals' reproduction are adversely affected. Livestock farmers are also facing escalating feed and fertiliser costs, both of which may jeopardise feed availability for the animals. The availability of skilled labour to work in livestock industries is increasingly limited, with rural migration to cities and the succession of older farmers uncertain. In future, high-energy and protein feeds are unlikely to be available in large quantities when required for the expanding human population. It is expected that livestock farming will increasingly be confined to marginal land offering low-quality pasture, which will favour ruminant livestock, at the expense of pigs and poultry unable to readily digest coarse fibre in plants. Farmers also face disease challenges to their animals' welfare, as the development of antibiotic resistance in microbes has heralded an era when we can no longer rely on antibiotics to control disease or improve the feed conversion efficiency of livestock. Farmers can use medicinal plants, pro-, pre- and synbiotics and good husbandry to help maintain a high standard of health in their animals. Loss of biodiversity in livestock breeds reduces the availability of less productive genotypes that survive better on nutrient-poor diets than animals selected for high productivity. Farmers have a range of options to help address these challenges, including changing to less intensive diets, diversification from livestock farming to other enterprises, such as cereal and pseudocereal crops, silvopastoral systems and using less highly selected breeds. These options may not always produce good animal welfare, but they will help to give farm animals a better life.

Effect of replacing cottonseed meal with canola meal on growth performance, blood metabolites, thyroid function, and ruminal parameters of growing lambs

The objective was to clarify the impact of replacing cottonseed meal with canola meal (CM) on growth performance, blood metabolites, thyroxin function, and ruminal parameters of growing lambs. Twenty-four growing Barki male lambs (4-5 months of age) were assigned randomly into four equal groups (6 lambs each). Four dietary treatments were the control group with 0% CM (CON) and three experimental groups where CM replaced 25% (CN₁), 50% (CN₂), and 75% (CN₃) of cottonseed meal. There were no dietary effects (P > 0.05) on the lambs' feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio of the lambs. The dietary CM linearly decreased the concentrations of serum total proteins (P = 0.003), albumin (P = 0.010), globulin (P = 0.011), AST (P = 0.041), and urea (P = 0.001) in growing lambs. The levels of ALT and creatinine, however, were not significantly affected by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). Furthermore, serum triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and electrolyte concentrations were similar (P > 0.05) in different dietary groups. Dietary treatments significantly affected the values of ruminal pH and ammonia at 0 h (P = 0.003 and 0.048, respectively) and 3 h (P = 0.033 and P = 0.006, respectively) postfeeding. The CN₃ group showed significantly higher concentrations of ruminal ammonia at 0 and 3 h postfeeding. Furthermore, dietary CM (CN₃) significantly reduced the ruminal pH values at 0 and 3 h postfeeding. Meanwhile, dietary treatments did not affect the concentration of total VFAs in the ruminal fluid. In conclusion, CM can replace the cottonseed meal (up to 75%) in lamb diets without compromising their growth performance, thyroid function, and ruminal fermentation parameters.

Use of Camelina sativa and By-Products in Diets for Dairy Cows: A Review

Camelina sativa, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, has been grown since 4000 B.C. as an oilseed crop that is more drought- and cold-resistant. Increased demand for its oil, meal, and other derivatives has increased researchers’ interest in this crop. Its anti-nutritional factors can be reduced by solvent, enzyme and heat treatments, and genetic engineering. Inclusion of camelina by-products increases branched-chain volatile fatty acids, decreases neutral detergent fiber digestibility, has no effect on acid detergent fiber digestibility, and lowers acetate levels in dairy cows. Feeding camelina meal reduces ruminal methane, an environmental benefit of using camelina by-products in ruminant diets. The addition of camelina to dairy cow diets decreases ruminal cellulolytic bacteria and bio-hydrogenation. This reduced bio-hydrogenation results in an increase in desirable fatty acids and a decrease in saturated fatty acids in milk obtained from cows fed diets with camelina seeds or its by-products. Studies suggest that by-products of C. sativa can be used safely in dairy cows at appropriate inclusion levels. However, suppression in fat milk percentage and an increase in trans fatty acid isomers should be considered when increasing the inclusion rate of camelina by-products, due to health concerns.

Board Invited Review: Enteric methane mitigation interventions

Mitigation of enteric methane (CH₄) presents a feasible approach to curbing agriculture’s contribution to climate change. One intervention for reduction is dietary reformulation, which manipulates the composition of feedstuffs in ruminant diets to redirect fermentation processes toward low CH₄ emissions. Examples include reducing the relative proportion of forages to concentrates, determining the rate of digestibility and passage rate from the rumen, and dietary lipid inclusion. Feed additives present another intervention for CH₄ abatement and are classified based on their mode of action. Through inhibition of key enzymes, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) and halogenated compounds directly target the methanogenesis pathway. Rumen environment modifiers, including nitrates, essential oils, and tannins, act on the conditions that affect methanogens and remove the accessibility of fermentation products needed for CH₄ formation. Low CH₄-emitting animals can also be directly or indirectly selected through breeding interventions, and genome-wide association studies are expected to provide efficient selection decisions. Overall, dietary reformulation and feed additive inclusion provide immediate and reversible effects, while selective breeding produces lasting, cumulative CH₄ emission reductions.

Realizing the Potential of Camelina sativa as a Bioenergy Crop for a Changing Global Climate

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz. is an annual oilseed crop within the Brassicaceae family. C. sativa has been grown since as early as 4000 BCE. In recent years, C. sativa received increased attention as a climate-resilient oilseed, seed meal, and biofuel (biodiesel and renewable or green diesel) crop. This renewed interest is reflected in the rapid rise in the number of peer-reviewed publications (>2300) containing “camelina” from 1997 to 2021. An overview of the origins of this ancient crop and its genetic diversity and its yield potential under hot and dry growing conditions is provided. The major biotic barriers that limit C. sativa production are summarized, including weed control, insect pests, and fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Ecosystem services provided by C. sativa are also discussed. The profiles of seed oil and fatty acid composition and the many uses of seed meal and oil are discussed, including food, fodder, fuel, industrial, and medical benefits. Lastly, we outline strategies for improving this important and versatile crop to enhance its production globally in the face of a rapidly changing climate using molecular breeding, rhizosphere microbiota, genetic engineering, and genome editing approaches.

Nutrient profile and effects of carinata meal as alternative feed ingredient on broiler performance, tight junction gene expression and intestinal morphology

Two studies were conducted to establish carinata meal as a partial replacement of conventional protein sources. Study I was conducted to determine the nutrient profile, nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn), and amino acid (AA) digestibility of 2 groups: low glucosinolate carinata meal (LGCM) and high glucosinolate carinata meal (HGCM) using rooster assays. The LGCM contained 28 μmol/g glucosinolate, 11.5% moisture, 39.2% crude protein (CP), whereas the HGCM had 100 μmol/g glucosinolate, 10.1% moisture, 39.5% CP on as is basis. The precision-fed rooster assays were conducted to determine TMEn and AA digestibility. The TMEn levels of LGCM and HGCM were 1,814 and 1,690 kcal/kg on as is basis, respectively. Standardized digestibility for lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, and valine were 72, 88, 69, 75, and 79% for LGCM and 80, 89, 71, 76, and 80% for HGCM, respectively. Based on the nutrient profiles from study I, study II was conducted to evaluate the effects of LGCM and HGCM in broilers. A total of 504 one-day-old Cobb500 male broiler chickens were randomly divided into 42 battery cages with 6 replicates of 12 birds per cage. The seven dietary treatments were control diet, 3 inclusion levels of LGCM (4, 8, and 12%), and 3 of HGCM (4, 8, and12%) in a corn-SBM based diet fed for 21 d. No significant differences in BW, BWG, and FI were observed except for significantly lower BWG in 12% HGCM group compared to control for 14-21 days (P < 0.05). The FCR for 12% HGCM increased significantly compared to 4 and 8% of both LGCM and HGCM groups during wk 3 (14-21 d). Based on these studies, carinata meal could be recommended to partially replace conventional feed ingredients at a rate of 12% when LGCM is used and 8% when HGCM is used with no deleterious effects on growth performance, gut histology, and tight junction proteins.

Potential risks from the accumulation of heavy metals in canola plants

Concentrations of heavy metals in agricultural land near highways are a major concern for humans. This study was conducted to investigate the contamination level of heavy metals in soil, canola crop, and the potential health risk for honeybee and human. The average concentrations (mg/kg) of Co (15.94), Cr (169.66), Ni (55.39), Mn (765.34) Hg (2.99), and Cu (51.31) were elevated beyond their background reference values in world soil average, while Pb (9.45) was below to their respective background levels. This was confirmed by contamination factor (CF) and ecological risk factors (Er). Heavy metal concentrations in different parts of canola decreased in the following order: Fe> Mn > Cr > Pb > Co > Cu > Ni > Hg. Honey transfer factor (TF_H) of heavy metals was less than unity except Ni and Hg. Human health (non-carcinogenic) risk assessment of heavy metals in the soil through potential exposure pathway (ingestion) recorded a dramatically increased risk for children (hazard index, HI=2.44). Hazard quotient via honey (HQ_H) consumption value of heavy metals were within the safe limits (HQ< 1). Probably, honeybees have a strong ability to transfer Co, Pb, Hg, and Mn (HQ> 1) from the canola to their hives during collecting pollen and nectar. HQ in honeybee workers from the consumption of honey can be used to derive HQ in humans using the hazard factor (HF). HF is 1481.482 (Pb), 2356.902 (Ni), and 3888.889 (Cr), respectively, for adult human (70kg) and 317.460 (Pb), 504.377(Ni), and 832.22 (Cr) for children (15kg).

Innovative high digestibility protein feed materials reducing environmental impact through improved nitrogen-use efficiency in sustainable agriculture

Sustainable development in agriculture brings both environmental and economic benefits. Contemporary agriculture is also about increasing nutrient use efficiency, especially nitrogen, as the critical nutrient causing the most significant environmental pressure. This creates the need to produce highly digestible protein feed with high bioavailability, reducing losses of biogenic elements to feces. In this review, the latest trends and the potential for their implementation in sustainable agriculture have been compared, as well as the need to reduce the negative environmental impact of agriculture has been demonstrated. Applying local protein sources to feed animals reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation. The production of highly digestible fodder leads to a reduction in environmental pollution caused by excessive nitrogen outflows. Another approach indecreasing ammonia emissions from livestock farming is feed protein reduction and amino acid supplementation. All of the aforementioned approaches may result in beneficial long-term changes, contributing to environmental safety, animal welfare and human health.

Invited Review: Glucosinolates Might Result in Low Methane Emissions From Ruminants Fed Brassica Forages

Methane is formed from the microbial degradation of feeds in the digestive tract in ruminants. Methane emissions from ruminants not only result in a loss of feed energy but also contribute to global warming. Previous studies showed that brassica forages, such as forage rape, lead to less methane emitted per unit of dry matter intake than grass-based forages. Differences in rumen pH are proposed to partly explain these low emissions. Rumen microbial community differences are also observed, but the causes of these are unknown, although altered digesta flow has been proposed. This paper proposes a new mechanism underlying the lower methane emissions from sheep fed brassica forages. It is reported that feeding brassica forages to sheep can increase the concentration of free triiodothyronine (FT3) in serum, while the intramuscular injection of FT3 into sheep can reduce the mean retention time of digesta in the rumen. The short retention time of digesta is associated with low methane production. Glucosinolates (GSLs) are chemical components widely present in plants of the genus Brassica. After ruminants consume brassica forages, GSLs are broken down in the rumen. We hypothesize that GSLs or their breakdown products are absorbed into the blood and then may stimulate the secretion of thyroid hormone FT3 in ruminants, and the altered thyroid hormone concentration may change rumen physiology. As a consequence, the mean retention time of digesta in the rumen would be altered, resulting in a decrease in methane emissions. This hypothesis on mitigation mechanism is based on the manipulation of animal physiological parameters, which, if proven, will then support the expansion of this research area.

Symposium review: Strategies to improve the efficiency and profitability of heifer raising

Regional Research Project NC-2042 has a main objective to study calf and heifer nutrition. Within this objective, feeding the postweaned heifer is considered a major priority to improve the profitability and sustainability of US dairy farms. Through optimizing nutrient utilization by precision feeding, using alternative feeds, high-fiber diets, and feed additives, this research group has worked to enhance dairy heifer nutrition. Research has focused on precision feeding heifers and incorporating high- and low-fiber diets into this system of feeding. This is accomplished by meeting the nutrient needs of the heifer for a desired rate of growth while enhancing total-tract nutrient digestibility, reducing waste and improving profitability. High-fiber forages have been studied as a means of controlling ad libitum dry matter intakes and thus weight gain in heifers. These results provide producers with a means of feeding heifers while reducing costs. Similarly, utilizing alternative feedstuffs in heifer diets has also been a major research area for this group including comprehensive research on distillers co-products, and new protein sources such as camelina and carinata meals. Results indicated that these products can be satisfactorily incorporated into heifer diets. Studying feed additives has also been a function of the research group. Research with Ascophyllum nodosum and cinnamaldehyde indicated that calves find these additives unpalatable and that supplementing cinnamaldehyde to postweaned heifers showed no benefit. However, sodium butyrate and yeast supplementation proved to be beneficial in the growth and feed efficiency of heifers. Research from this group has an effect on heifer feeding, resulting in new information that can aid in the sustainability of dairy farms. This review will focus on the area of postweaned heifer nutrition.