Monitoring of Performance-Based Environmental Impacts of Substituting Soybean Meal with Rapeseed Meal in the Rye-Based Diet of Weaned Pigs

Abstract

Due to its favorable properties, soybean meal (SBM) is used especially in young growing animals. In terms of sustainability, there are various efforts to reduce the amounts of SBM in compound feeds and to increase the use of regional protein sources. This paper focuses on the effects of a partial to total substitution of SBM by regionally produced rapeseed meal (RSM) in different piglet diets regarding 10 important factors having an impact on the environment. Four diets, characterized by different shares (%) of both protein-rich ingredients (SBM/RSM: 18.1/0; 13.6/6.70; 8.10/16.1; 0/28.0), were fed to four groups of 10 piglets each in two runs. The impact was calculated related to feed (per t) and was performance-based for every piglet (impact·kg weight gain−1) for each factor using methods according to life-cycle-analyses (LCA). Although feed intake and weight gains were not affected negatively, higher feed conversion ratios occurred, with high amounts of rapeseed inclusion. Nevertheless, the performance-based negative influence on climate change (kg CO2 eq·kg weight gain−1) was nearly halved when SBM was replaced by RSM. Since performance was not negatively affected, the use of RSM instead of SBM in piglet diets could be a viable tool for markedly reducing the negative impact on climate change.

Rye and Rye Bran as Components of Diets in Piglet Production—Effects on Salmonella Prevalence

“…Rye is also a valuable cereal in terms of sustainability. It has been shown that a compound feed with high proportions of rye in combination with regional protein sources leads to a lower carbon footprint while maintaining the same performance [11]. Despite its similarity to wheat feeding, a rye-rich diet has an influence on the physicochemical properties of the digesta of pigs [12].…”

Effect of a Bacillus-Based Probiotic on Performance and Nutrient Digestibility When Substituting Soybean Meal with Rapeseed Meal in Grower–Finisher Diets

“…Taking into consideration the reduction of N in the NC diet, as well as the positive effects found when the probiotic was supplemented in the NC diet, replacing SBM with RSM could potentially be a viable cheaper and eco-friendly alternative to imported SBM protein sources in pig diets. Furthermore, the use of RSM instead of SBM in pig diets could be a viable tool for markedly reducing these animals' negative impact on climate change [21].…”

“…Replacing soybean meal (SBM) with protein sources from European agricultural systems, such as as rapeseed meal (RSM), could potentially be a viable cheaper and ecofriendly alternative to imported SBM protein source in pig diets and could contribute to more sustainable pork production [20]. Furthermore, the use of RSM instead of SBM in pig diets could be a viable tool for markedly reducing the negative impact on climate change [21]. Previous studies have shown that SBM can be partially replaced with RSM without affecting the performance of growing-finishing pigs [22][23][24].…”

Effects of substituting wheat by rye in diets for young fattening pigs on nutrient digestibility, performance, products of intestinal fermentation, and fecal characteristics

“…Among other things, this is why cultivation generates a relatively low CO 2 footprint (7). Thus, an old and traditional feedstuff is experiencing growing interest (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Generally, wheat and rye are characterized by different amounts of starch and crude fiber (3), moreover crude protein levels of wheat are 17-33% higher than those of rye (3,16).…”