Evaluation of Different Ensiling Methods and the Effect on Feeding Value of the Residual Material from Edamame Soybean Processing

Project Overview

GS19-208
Project Type: Graduate Student
Funds awarded in 2019: $16,500.00
Projected End Date: 08/31/2020
Grant Recipient: University of Arkansas
Region: Southern
State: Arkansas
Graduate Student:
Major Professor:
Dr. Beth Kegley
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture

Commodities

  • Agronomic: soybeans
  • Animals: sheep

Practices

  • Animal Production: feed management, inoculants
  • Crop Production: food processing, municipal wastes

    Proposal abstract:

    Use by ruminant animals of organic waste material from food processing operations potentially reduces costs and reduces environmental issues from disposal of these residues. The objective of this research is to evaluate the storage and feeding value of residual from edamame soybean processing in ruminant animals. Two types of residual or waste streams: waste during harvest time, and waste from processing stored material will be ensiled (on a laboratory scale) using various methods, and effects on post-ensiling nutritive value will be examined. Material from both waste streams will be ensiled either without wilting or after wilting to 65, 50 and 35 percent. Each moisture level will be ensiled with and without a commercial lactic acid bacteria inoculant. Dry matter loss and pH will be determine after 42 days of ensiling. Aerobic stability of material will be evaluated before and after ensiling. Samples of fresh and wilted material will be taken to measure nutrient composition.

    Additionally, wilted material with and without inoculant from both waste streams will be evaluated for post-ensiling intake, total tract digestibility (dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber), and nitrogen balance using sheep offered silage produced in 44-gallon cans. We hypothesize that ensiling will provide successful storage of the edamame residual and that this new form of silage will provide local livestock producers a feed option that is economically beneficial. Furthermore, the edamame processing plant will add value to their waste, which presently has no monetary value, even costing money for disposal.

    Project objectives from proposal:

    • Evaluate fresh and wilted without ensiling, samples of edamame residual from both waste streams of the processing plant.
    • Evaluate edamame residual from both waste streams of the processing plant that was ensiled after wilting to 4 different moisture levels and ensiled without or with a commercial silage inoculant (on a laboratory scale, in bags for 42 days).
    • Offer ensiled material to sheep and evaluate intake, total tract digestibility, and nitrogen balance. Two of the silages produced from each waste stream will be evaluated.
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.