The current review is initiated with the general objectives of to assess seaweed as animal feed and effect on reducing greenhouse gas emission and health. Multiple issues confront ruminant-based food production today, including environmental emissions, climate change, and escalating food–feed–fuel rivalry for arable land. As a result, more sustainable feed production, as well as the exploration of innovative resources, is required. In addition to the several food industry side streams presently in use (milling, sugar, starch, alcohol, or plant oil), new ones such as vegetable and fruit leftovers are being investigated, however conservation is difficult and output is typically seasonal. As an example of oilseed by-products, lipid-rich camelina (Camelina sativa) expeller has the potential to enhance ruminant milk and meat fat with bioactive trans-11 18:1 and cis-9, trans-11 18:2 fatty acids and decrease methane emissions in temperate zones. Despite the reduced methionine concentration of alternative grain legume proteins compared to soya bean meal (Glycine max), ruminants fed faba beans (Vicia faba), peas (Pisum sativum), and lupins (Lupinus sp.) had comparable lactation performance and development. Although wood is the most plentiful carbohydrate on the planet, temperate zones lack agroforestry techniques to ruminant nutrition. Because of cellulose and lignin connections, ruminants have a hard time digesting untreated wood, although various processing procedures can increase utilization. Fodder trees and shrubs (e.g., cassava (Manihot esculenta), Leucaena sp., Flemingia sp.) provide good protein supplements for ruminants in the tropics. The leaves and by-products of on-farm food production are combined with grass cultivation for ruminant feeding in a food–feed production system. It has the potential to increase animal performance on smallholder farms in a long-term way. Detoxified jatropha (Jatropha sp.) meal is a notable alternative protein source for larger-scale animal production.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SEAWEED
2.1. Chemical Composition and Bioactive Compounds of Seaweed
2.2. Types of Seaweeds: their taxonomic group
2.2.1. Green Seaweeds
2.2.2. Red Seaweeds
2.2.3. Brown Seaweeds
2.3. Seaweed as Livestock Feed
2.3.1. Ruminant micro-biome adaptation to seaweed
2.3.2. Seaweed as ruminant feed
2.3.3. Seaweed as Monogastric feeds
2.3.3.1. Fish Farming
2.3.3.2. Poultry Feeds
2.3.3.2.1. Broiler Poultry
2.3.3.2.2. Laying Poultry
2.3.3.2.3. Oyster Feed
3. The Effect of Seaweed on methanogensis: Greenhouse gas Emission
3.1. Ruminal Fermentation: indirect intervention
3.2. Direct intervention of Seaweed on Methanogens
3.2.1. Methane Suppression
3.2.2. Halogenated Compounds
4. Challenges and Issues of Constraints
4.1. Seaweed has a limited or unpredictable demand.
4.2. Limited number of suitable farm sites nearshore
4.3. A labor shortage exists.
4.4. Constraints over integrated farming systems
4.5. Seedling quality is poor or declining.
4.6. Impacts or threats to the environment or ecology
4.7. Blooms of algae
5. Conclusions and The way forward
5.1. Governance as foundational Issue
5.2. As a driving force, market demand
5.3. As a game-changer, innovation
5.4. As an enabling environment, public support is important.
5.5. FAO’s roles
Objectives and Research Themes
This work aims to evaluate the potential of seaweed as a sustainable animal feed source and analyze its impact on reducing enteric greenhouse gas emissions and improving livestock health.
- Nutritional characterization of different seaweed taxonomic groups (green, red, brown).
- Evaluation of seaweed inclusion in diets for ruminants and monogastric animals (poultry, fish, rabbits).
- Mechanism analysis of seaweed-derived bioactive compounds in inhibiting methanogenesis.
- Assessment of current challenges in the seaweed industry, including supply chain constraints and environmental risks.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3.2. Seaweed as ruminant feed
To date, studies on the use of seaweed in ruminant nutrition have concentrated on adding tiny amounts of different macroalgal species to the diet and then assessing the animal for probable prebiotic action and improved animal performance. There is a scarcity of information on the use of green seaweed in ruminant feed. Ulva lactuca could be offered to male lambs at a rate of up to 20% of their daily diet without negatively impacting their appetite. It has a low protein degradability (40%) and intermediate energy digestibility (60%), making it comparable to a medium to low-quality forage and ideal for use with high-energy, low-protein diets like cereal grains (Arieli et al., 993). Growing lambs were also fed Chaetomorpha linum (Chlorophyta) with a 20% seaweed meal, which had a small negative effect on growth and feed conversion ratio, presumably because to the high ash content (Misurcova et al., 2011; Rjiba Ktita et al., 2010).
Red seaweed, as previously established, has garnered greater attention in bovine feed than in other ruminant feeds (Misurcova et al., 2011). Red seaweed (a 70% concentrate of Phymatolithon calcareum—as Lithothamnion calcareum—extract administered at a ratio of 0.5 g/kg) was used to buffer the rumen pH in some cases, but it did not increase fiber digestion or affect rumen fermentation (Misurcova et al., 2011; Montaez et al., 2012). The brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum was reported to minimize Esherichia coli fecal shedding in feedlot cattle (Makkar et al., 2016; Montaez-Valdez, et al., 2012). More study is being done on the use of seaweed in caprine diet.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Provides an overview of seaweed as a macroalgae source and discusses its potential as an alternative animal feed ingredient due to its mineral and protein content.
2. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SEAWEED: Examines the taxonomic classification, chemical composition, and specific applications of green, red, and brown seaweeds in various livestock and aquaculture diets.
3. The Effect of Seaweed on methanogensis: Greenhouse gas Emission: Discusses the role of seaweed-derived secondary metabolites in modulating rumen fermentation and directly inhibiting methane-producing microorganisms.
4. Challenges and Issues of Constraints: Analyzes the socioeconomic and environmental hurdles, such as labor shortages, supply chain reliability, and ecological risks associated with large-scale seaweed cultivation.
5. Conclusions and The way forward: Outlines necessary future strategies, including governance, innovation, and public support, to foster a sustainable seaweed industry.
Keywords
Seaweed, animal feed, Red Seaweed, Brown Seaweed, Green Seaweed, Anti-Methanogen properties, Rumen fermentation, Greenhouse gas reduction, Aquaculture, Bioactive compounds, Nutritional supplementation, Sustainable agriculture, Phlorotannins, Methane suppression, Feed safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work primarily focuses on the viability of seaweed as an alternative, sustainable feed source for livestock and its functional role in mitigating methane emissions in ruminants.
What are the primary areas covered in this document?
The document covers the chemical composition of seaweed, its application in animal nutrition (ruminants, poultry, fish), its specific effect on greenhouse gas emissions, and the infrastructural/environmental challenges facing the industry.
What is the main objective of the study?
The primary objective is to assess the potential of seaweed as animal feed and examine its capacity to reduce enteric methane generation, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability.
Which scientific methods are discussed regarding seaweed and methanogenesis?
The study highlights both in vitro and in vivo research methods, focusing on the inhibition of methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) and the role of halogenated compounds and phlorotannins in blocking methanogenesis pathways.
What content is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body details the bioavailability of nutrients in seaweed, the specific effects on different animal types, technical constraints on farming, and strategic proposals for governance and industry innovation.
Which keywords characterize this document?
Key terms include seaweed, animal feed, ruminant fermentation, methane suppression, aquaculture, bioactive compounds, and sustainable agriculture.
How does red seaweed specifically impact ruminant methane production?
Red seaweed, particularly species like Asparagopsis armata, contains halogenated compounds such as bromoform, which effectively inhibit the activity of rumen methanogens, leading to significant reductions in methane emissions.
What are the environmental risks associated with seaweed farming?
Risks include the potential for spreading invasive species or pathogens, site competition with other sectors, and negative impacts on marine water flow or local chemistry if not managed correctly.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Feyisa Lemessa (Autor:in), 2021, Seaweed as Animal Feed and its Impact in Reducing Environmental Impact, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1309481
