PREMIUM GRAINS FOR LIVESTOCK PROGRAM Component 1: Co-ordination An overview of outcomes from PGLP 1 & 2 FINAL REPORT September 2008 Prepared by John Black John L Black Consulting Locked Bag 21 Warrimoo NSW 2774 Phone: 02 4753 6231 Mobile: 0419 493 567 Email: [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary 7 Background 7 Major research findings 8 Major deliverables from the Program 14 Opportunities for further investment 16 Introduction 18 PGLP Objectives 19 Research Strategy 20 Major PGLP components 20 Case studies 21 Associated projects 23 Energy value of sorghum for broilers 23 Energy value of pearl millet cultivars for pigs 23 Validation and upgrade of NIR calibrations for pigs 23 Definition of available energy and effect of digestive process 24 Variation in available energy between grains and animal types 26 Available energy content of cereal grains 26 Literature information 26 Results from PGLP 26 Variation within grains and animal types 26 Variation across individual grain samples and animal types 28 Variation in total available energy intake 31 Variation within grain species across animal types 31 Variation across individual grain samples and animal types 39 Variation in oat grains for ruminants 41 Effects of weather damage on the available energy content of cereal grains 42 Frosted grains 42 High screenings grains 45 Regression approach 45 Screening a normal sample into large and small grains 45 Sprouted grains 56 Farmer sample 56 Experimentally sprouted grains 57 Effects of germination and ensiling of sorghum 58 Effects of germination on energy availability for poultry 58 2 Summary of variation 60 Potential reasons for difference between grains 62 Correlations between grain characteristics and energy availability 62 Broilers 62 AME content 62 AME intake 63 Layers 63 AME content 63 AME intake 64 Pigs 64 DE content 64 DE intake 64 Cattle 65 ME content 65 ME intake 65 Comparison of the energy content of individual grain samples across animals 65 Summary of reasons for differences between grains and animal types 70 Gross chemical composition of the grain 72 Endosperm cell wall composition, thickness and integrity 74 Protein matrix surrounding starch granules 78 Composition of starch 80 Starch granule size and surface area 82 Hydration capacity and grain hardness 83 Adjustment for gross chemical composition 86 Digestibility of oat grains 88 Grain test weight and energy availability 91 Assessing the ‘hotness’ of cereal grains for ruminants 97 Differences between grain and animal types in energy utilization 98 Comparison of cereal grain species for performance of broilers 98 Comparison between pigs & poultry in site of digestion 103 Comparison between wheat types for supplying energy to cattle 104 ME content of grains for cattle 105 Acidosis Index 106 Protein content 107 Diet and total ME intake 108 Discussion and Conclusions 110 3 Improving through processing the energy value of grains for animals 110 Processing methods to improve the energy value of sorghum for cattle 111 Suitability of in vitro assays for screening grains and processing methods 111 Comparison of in vitro assays with observations from cattle 112 Comparison of processing methods for sorghum 114 Urea and enzyme treatment of whole grain for ruminants 118 Evaluation of sorghum processing methods for cattle production 118 Assessing the effectiveness of grain processing for cattle 120 In vitro fermentation assay 120 AusBeef simulation model 120 NIR measurement of starch in faeces 120 Processing methods to improve the energy value of cereals for pigs & poultry 121 Effect of extrusion on energy availability for pigs and poultry 121 Effect of extrusion on energy availability in pigs 121 Effect of extrusion on energy availability for broiler chickens 123 Effect of extrusion on energy availability for layers 125 Summary of effects of processing on cereal grains for pigs and poultry 126 Effect of addition of enzymes to cereal grains for poultry and pigs 127 Effect of the addition of enzymes to cereal for broilers 127 Predicting the response of broilers to the addition of enzymes 128 Effect of the addition of enzymes to cereal grains for pigs 138 Summary of achievement of contracted outcomes for PGLP2 139 Near infra-red spectrometry (NIR) 139 Summary of NIR calibrations developed 139 Energy value of cereal grains fed to sheep at maintenance 157 Dry matter digestibility (% dry matter) 157 Metabolisable energy (ME) content of cereal grain (MJ/kg DM) 158 Energy value of cereal grains fed to cattle ad libitum 159 Metabolisable energy (ME) content of cereal grain (MJ/kg DM) 159 Starch in cattle faeces 160 Acidosis – ‘hotness of grain’ index 161 Case study evaluation of acidosis index calibration 162 Value of oat grains for herbivores 163 Dry matter digestibility – 48 hr in sacco (%) 163 Hull ADL (lignin) content (%) 165 Test weight (kg/hl) and hull (%) 166 4 Faecal DE for pigs 167 Ratio of ileal:faecal DE for pigs 168 Updated pig DE calibrations with results from Pork CRC 169 Predicting pig DE values from grain characteristics compared with NIR calibrations 172 Conclusions 174 Faecal DE intake index for pigs 175 Apparent Metabolisable Energy of cereal grains for broilers 176 PGLP calibration 176 Canadian and PGLP samples 177 AME intake index for cereal gains for broilers 179 Ileal DE of grains for broilers 180 Apparent Metabolisable Energy of cereal grains for layers 181 Predicting layer values from broiler values 182 AME intake index for cereal gains for layers 186 Predicting layer values from broiler values 187 Grain chemical & physical characteristics 189 Value of NIR calibrations for the grains and livestock industries 205 Maintenance and enhancement of calibrations 205 Comparison of predictions across NIR instruments 205 Distribution of NIR calibrations across the grains and livestock industries.... 209 Industry opportunity 310 Rapid methods for predicting the response in nutritional value... 210 Rapid methods for assessing the effectiveness of grain processing for ruminants 210 Rapid methods for assessing the effectiveness of grain processing for pigs 211 Rapid methods for assessing the effectiveness of grain processing for poultry 212 Measurement of the nutritional value of sprouted grains 213 Selection criteria and breeding objectives for plant breeders..... 214 Development of selection criteria 214 Collaboration with plant breeders 215 A ruminant model for predicting the growth and body composition.... 216 A process for improving the pelletability and nutritional value.... 217 An extremely comprehensive database.... 218 Recommendations to grain growers on specific cultivars to be grown.... 220 Potential increase in marketing opportunities, including export..... 221 Information on grain characteristics affecting their nutritional value for humans.... 223 A process for rational basis of trading grains for livestock.... 223 5 Magnitude of variation between grains in energy supply 223 Economic impact of variation between grains 225 A process for the rational trading of grains for livestock 226 Opportunities for further investment 228 Publications from PGLP activities 229 References cited in the Report 235 Acknowledgements 236 6 Executive Summary Background 1. The Premium Grains for Livestock Program (PGLP) was established in 1996 as a jointly funded grains and animal industries project. The project arose because of the rapidly increasing demand for grain by the intensive livestock and dairy industries and concern from these industries about a reliable supply of grain meeting quality specifications for their industries. Grain growers had traditionally seen ‘feed grains’ as down graded grains unsuitable for human consumption and were not encouraged to produce grains for livestock because of the lower price frequently obtained. However, much of the ‘feed grain’ available was of insufficient quality for animal industries to meet production specifications and deadlines. Consequently, following several joint industry meetings, the grains and animal industries recognised the opportunity to develop an animal grains industry based on the measurement of quality and appropriate payment for this quality. PGLP has been funded by the Grains R&D Corporation, Meat and Livestock Australia, Australian Pork Limited, Rural Industries R&D Corporation through the Chicken Meat Program, Australian Egg Corporation Limited, Ridley Agriproducts and Dairy Australia. The principle objectives of PGLP were to: . Identify the characteristics of grains that made them most suitable for different forms of animal production. Develop a process, based on the rapid measurement of grain quality, for the rational trading of grains for livestock within Australia which provides just rewards to both the grain growers and livestock producers. 2. PGLP has been a unique Project, involving scientists from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines in the most comprehensive effort yet undertaken to understand the characteristics of cereal grains that determine their nutritional value for different classes of livestock including sheep, feedlot cattle, pigs, broiler chickens and laying hens. Cereal grains, because of their high starch content relative to other ingredients, are offered to animals primarily as a source of readily available energy. The most important outcomes from the program are an understanding that the grain characteristics most suitable for production vary widely between animal types, the development of rapid near infra-red spectroscopy (NIR) calibrations for measuring most of these characteristics