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To improve the protein autonomy of livestock farms, Terres Inovia is working on oilseed and protein crop transformation processes. Some of this work was presented at the Salon International de l'Agriculture on February 27.
The protein requirement for animals (per ration) varies between 14 and 22%, well above the protein content of cereals (between 8 and 13%). While soybean meal accounts for 31% of compound feed volume, it represents around 45% of its financial value, with the country importing 85-90% of soybean meal and 30-40% of sunflower meal.
Improve the protein value of rapeseed by 10%.
By working on transformation processes, it is possible to reduce this dependence by improving the nutritional value of locally produced proteins. " Improving the protein value of rapeseed by 10% would mean providing the same amount of protein with 130,000 ha less, or, without sowing a hectare more, reducing soybean meal imports by 160 kt ", points out Patrick Carré, Process Engineer at Terres Inovia. How can we do this?
The institute is working on three courses of action:
- Protect proteins against rumen damage (ruminants, milk)
- Reduce thermal damage that penalizes protein digestibility
- Reduce fiber to concentrate proteins and improve amino acid digestibility through shelling.
On-farm toasting and mechanical sunflower extraction
In the Tecapel project, in particular, the technical institute is seeking to improve on-farm toasting to make better use of local protein sources in dairy production, by reducing the ruminal degradability of proteins through heat treatment. " We have observed considerable heterogeneity in the efficiency of this technology, and our aim is to propose an optimized process. The project has made it possible to measure this efficiency in an experimental setting, firstly by measuring degradability using the mobile bag method at INRAE in Rennes, then by measuring zootechnical performance in milk production on three ruminants. Experimental results on faba beans are promising, but require very demanding combinations of time and temperature, which the equipment available does not always allow us to achieve under farm conditions ".
Another focus of the Institute's work is the mechanical extraction of shelled sunflower oil, which increases protein content and amino acid digestibility. " We gain 10 points in protein digestibility in monogastric animals, while at the same time improving energy density. However, pressing is a technical bottleneck, because without hulls, mechanical extraction of the oil becomes problematic". Terres Inovia has embarked on a fundamental study to understand the reasons for this difficulty, and to develop solutions for more efficient pressing that preserves the nutritional quality of the proteins.
Work on rapeseed and soybean processes
For soybeans, the conventional process is not optimal (long residence times and dispersion of residence times). Possible solutions:
- Review seed flow management
- Improve the drying efficiency of cookers through better air-soy contact,
- Improve mechanical extraction to limit the need for drying (better press arrangements).
For rapeseed, a process has been developed for cold-pressing shelled seeds (PEP process: pression extrusion pression). " It avoids the loss of lysine found in industrial rapeseed, improves protein content, reduces cellulose content by almost 50% and improves amino acid digestibility by 10 to 15 points ".