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Bioprocessing of Wheat Straw into Nutritionally Rich and Digested Cattle Feed

Summary

This research developed an eco-friendly way to convert wheat straw, an agricultural waste product, into nutritious cattle feed using a special fungus. The fungus breaks down the tough parts of straw that animals can’t digest while preserving the nutritious components, making it more digestible and nutritious for cattle. Impact on everyday life: – Provides a solution for agricultural waste management by converting crop residues into valuable animal feed – Helps reduce the cost of animal feed by replacing expensive grain components – Supports sustainable farming practices by recycling agricultural byproducts – Addresses animal feed shortages in regions with limited fodder availability – Demonstrates an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical feed processing methods

Background

India has approximately 600 million livestock requiring almost 1000 million tons of hay or green fodder, but only 230 million tons are available, creating a devastating scarcity. Agricultural crop residues and grasses could provide alternative feed sources, but their high lignin content and lower digestibility limit their use as sole animal feed. While various physical and chemical methods exist to remove lignin, biological alternatives using microorganisms are preferred as environmentally friendly solutions.

Objective

To develop a process for bioconverting wheat straw into digestible and nutrient-rich animal feed using the selective lignin-degrading fungus Crinipellis sp. RCK-1 under solid-state fermentation conditions, and evaluate its nutritional value and effectiveness as cattle feed through both in vitro and in vivo testing.

Results

The fungus degraded 18.38% lignin while consuming only 10.37% cellulose within 9 days. The 5-day fermented wheat straw (Biotech Feed) showed 36.74% organic matter digestibility and 5.38 MJ/kg dry matter metabolizable energy. It was enriched with essential amino acids and fungal protein. In vivo trials showed significantly higher dry matter intake (3.74 kg/d), dry matter digestibility (57.82%), and total digestible nutrients (54.76%) in calves fed Biotech Feed diets. Calves gained 50g more daily body weight compared to control groups.

Conclusion

Crinipellis sp. RCK-1 demonstrated effective bioconversion of wheat straw into nutritious animal feed through selective lignin degradation while preserving valuable carbohydrates. The resulting Biotech Feed successfully replaced 50% of grain from traditional feed concentrates without compromising nutritional value or animal performance. This process offers a viable solution for developing cost-effective, nutrient-rich cattle feed from agricultural residues.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1038/srep06360
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