Reliance on soya as dietary staple is examined

British livestock farmers rely on millions of tonnes of the feedstuff being imported into the UK from countries such as Brazil and Argentina as a nutritionally efficient protein crop.

Its use is very low in sheep diets, representing less than three per cent of the soya used in animal feeds in Britain. Where it is used by sheep farmers, it forms part of healthy diets for pregnant ewes. The EBLEX studies specifically aim to explore alternatives to the use of SBM in the sheep sector.

Kim Matthews, EBLEX’s head of research and development, said the organisation wants to help beef and sheep farmers reduce their carbon footprint.

“We are continually looking at ways to reduce reliance on imported feedstuffs as part of the drive to improve the overall sustainability of the sector,” she said.

The new EBLEX research involves Leeds-based agricultural and environmental consultancy, ADAS, investigating the effectiveness of various proteins as part of a grass silage and fodder beat-based total mixed ration (TMR).

Various diets will be fed to groups of pregnant ewes to provide information to TMR feeders on how to provide high-quality and sustainable protein.

The results will include lamb performance data to give an indication of whether diet during pregnancy affects subsequent growth rates and days to slaughter.

Meanwhile, research teams at Scotland’s Rural College and Harper Adams University, Newport, are examining whether nutritional recommendations used for formulating ewe rations, which were developed in the 1970s, are still relevant by reviewing the use of homegrown protein sources and novel protein protection technologies.