ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE May 2022 63 Included here is an example of a meta-analysis of Optigen. The data from this meta-analysis indicate that, over the course of around two decades, research has shown that using Optigen is associated with a 23% reduction, on average, of plant protein sources in the diet. Soybean meal, specifically, can be reduced by about 21%, and an increase in feed efficiency of around 3% has also been documented. Additionally, diets that include Optigen and use reduced amounts of plant protein sources have been shown to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency by 4%, leading to a 14% reduction in the total carbon footprint of the diets of animals used in milk production. TOOL THREE: YEA-SACC® There are some products on the market — like yeast cultures — that can help improve production efficiency while also reducing the carbon footprint of an operation. Yea-Sacc is a yeast culture based on the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain of yeast. YeaSacc modifies rumen activity by supporting a consistent improvement in the growth and activity of lactic acid-utilizing bacteria, which helps stabilize the rumen pH. At the same time, it also works to improve the digestion and utilization of nutrients. Thanks to these types of improvements, cows can absorb more nutrients for higher milk production. Utilizing a meta-analysis approach once again, a collection of 31 studies has shown that feeding YeaSacc to dairy cows can lead to an increased milk yield of 1 kg/head/day, on average, and can reduce the carbon footprint and nitrogen emission intensity by around 3% and 5.4%, respectively. These numbers demonstrate that it is possible for milk production efficiency to increase and for the carbon footprint and nitrogen excretion intensity to decrease simultaneously. At the beginning of this article, we posed a question: Can we reduce the carbon footprint of milk while also improving our production and profitability? With proven tools like the ones outlined here, the answer to that question is yes: It is possible to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy production and to improve our economic returns and performance at the same time. Based on the data compiled in various meta-analyses, it is clear that there are feeding solutions on the market that farmers can use to reduce their emissions and increase their productivity and profitability in conjunction with nutritional strategies that will help improve production efficiency in dairy systems. About Dr. Saheed Salami Dr. Saheed Salami is a research fellow at Alltech. He is based in Stamford, U.K., and serves on the company’s Solutions Deployment Team. Dr. Salami utilizes his multidisciplinary expertise in animal nutrition and environmental science to develop customer-focused and data-driven solutions for improving the productivity and sustainability of animal protein systems. Dr. Salami has international experience in leading research and handling technical responsibilities related to sustainable animal nutrition and food quality. In 2021, he was appointed to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a member of its Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on methane for the FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership. Dr. Salami received a double doctoral degree in agricultural, food and environmental science from the University of Catania in Italy and University College Cork in Ireland. He also received a double master’s degree in sustainable animal nutrition and feeding from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands and Ecole d’Ingénieurs de Purpan in France.
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