Research

Due to its nutritional properties, the soybean is an indispensable source of protein in poultry, swine, and cattle feed. In addition to centralized processing facilities, decentralized processing methods on farms are becoming increasingly important, particularly in organic farming. The goal of this project is to optimize the decentralized processing of soybeans into feed and to promote their use in order to produce high-quality, GMO-free products such as soybean meal and soybean oil in a sustainable and efficient manner. Through scientifically sound process optimization at selected farms, product quality is improved to promote animal welfare and performance. In addition, the resource-efficient cultivation and use of regional soybeans will be strengthened, which increases domestic supply security and contributes to reducing soybean imports. Accompanying feeding trials with pigs and poultry will evaluate the potential of soybean meal and soybean oil as alternative components in feed mixtures. An innovative aspect of the project is the introduction of a novel in-line sensor system for process monitoring, which enables real-time measurement of quality parameters. This allows for data-driven process control that compensates for fluctuations in raw material quality and makes production more efficient. The project’s results provide practical insights for farmers, feed producers, and consultants. They contribute to low-emission agriculture and strengthen economic value creation in a regional context. The project promotes knowledge transfer between science and practice and addresses both conventional and organic farming systems.

The ReProtein project takes a resource-efficient approach that utilizes previously evaluated plant-based byproducts to produce sustainable protein sources, specifically from mealworm larvae and duckweed, for fish feed. The goal is to strengthen regional production cycles in aquaculture and increase the resilience of the local feed supply. Initial investigations from a previous project yielded promising results: feed mixtures based on mealworm larvae and duckweed resulted in a characteristic green coloration in brook trout. In ongoing long-term studies with catfish, the suitability of these mixtures is now being further evaluated under practical conditions. In parallel, research is being conducted to determine how heavy metal accumulation in duckweed production can be specifically minimized. Another focus is on optimizing mealworm larvae as a protein source. These are characterized by a favourable fatty acid composition, which can be further improved through targeted feeding strategies, such as the use of linseed, particularly with regard to the content of n-3 fatty acids. Here, too, long-term trials are intended to validate the performance of corresponding feed mixtures in catfish. The project part of BOKU University focuses on the parameters of feed production and the assessment of fillet quality. Overall, the project aims to develop sustainable, locally available alternatives to fishmeal, which currently accounts for about 75% of fish feed. The production of duckweed and mealworm larvae in integrated recirculating systems offers significant potential for providing high-quality protein sources from regional raw materials. This can both strengthen regional value creation and reduce dependence on global supply chains. A key environmental benefit lies in the significant reduction of CO₂ emissions due to short transport distances and the use of regionally available by-products. ReProtein thus serves as a model project for a circular bioeconomy and demonstrates how sustainability, technological innovation, and regional economic development can be effectively linked.

In September 2023, the Committee for Requirements Standards of the Society for Nutritional Physiology (GfE) in Germany issued new "Recommendations for the Energy and Nutrient Supply of Dairy Cows". The most important changes are that with the new recommendations, the metabolisable energy (ME) and the small intestine digestible protein (sidP) or the small intestine digestible amino acids (sidAA) replace the net energy lactation (NEL) and the usable crude protein in the small intestine (nXP) as key figures for the energy and protein supply. In addition, the methodology for determining the requirement figures and the feed value was also fundamentally changed. The aim of this project is to create an Austria-specific basis for ration calculations based on the new methodology. The protein fractions and the amino acid pattern as well as their small intestine digestibility are analysed from forage samples from scientific trials at the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein. Knowledge of the protein degradability (can be derived from the protein fractions) and the amino acid pattern is a prerequisite for an exact ration calculation according to the new GfE recommendations. So far, however, there is hardly any data on these feed value parameters in typical Austrian feeds. The results of this project should therefore serve to expand the feed value tables primarily for forage from the Alpine region to include the new feed value parameters.