The environmental consequences of using home grown legumes as a protein source in pig diets (Green Pig Project)
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Research partners: SAC, University of Nottingham, NIAB
Industrial partners: BOCM Pauls, BPEX, Evonik-Degussa, Genesis QA, Harbro, Premier Nutrition Products, PGRO, QMS, Soil Association and UNIP
Sponsors: The above mentioned industrial partners with match funding from Defra under the Sustainable Livestock Production LINK programme
Duration: July 2008 – March 2012
The UK pig feed industry relies heavily on imported protein feedstuffs, predominately soybean meal. Although soybean meal is an excellent, reliable source of protein its possible environmental impacts, future availability and price fluctuations are of concern to UK pig producers.
The aim of this project is to assess the potential for greater inclusion of home grown legumes (peas and beans) as an environmentally friendly alternative to soybean meal and to identify whether specific varieties have a closer match to the requirements of the UK pig feeding industry than others.
Life cycle assessment modelling suggests that home grown legumes have considerable potential to reduce the environmental burden arising especially from eutrophication and acidification. Varietal effects on amino acid composition and digestibility seem small. Current work includes small scale dose-response studies being carried out by SAC on gradually exchanging soybean meal for peas and the effect of high tannin beans or low tannin beans on growth. The studies being carried out at the University of Nottingham are focusing on the effect of this exchange on N-metabolism. The experimental phase of the metabolism and growth trials is due to finish during the first quarter of 2011, the results of which will be reported in next year’s annual report and on the BPEX website. The inclusion of some additional small scale studies measuring methane production from pigs fed the Green Pig diets is also being investigated.
Planning for an additional growth trial with detailed slaughterhouse measurements and for the large-scale demonstration trials are underway.
The project is expected to instil a greater confidence in using home grown pulses for pig feeding, and a rise of pulse production tailored for the animal feed industry. Such an increased use of home grown pulses may be expected to reduce dependency on imports, especially of soybean meal, and to reduce environmental burdens arising from pig production in the UK.
Download Farm Case Study 30: Green Pig Project
Page last updated
05-Apr-2012