Daffodils for reduced methane production & improved feed efficiency in ruminants: Dancing with Daffodils

这是一个为期48个月的可行性研究项目，旨在开发工具，为到2030年将全球甲烷排放量减少至少30%的COP26全球甲烷承诺做出贡献。该项目将寻求开发一种天然来源的营养添加剂，以减少反刍动物的甲烷排放，目前反刍动物的甲烷排放量占英国农业甲烷排放总量的80%。该项目还将解决提高反刍动物饲料利用效率的要求，这将减少对进口高蛋白饲料材料的需求，支持可持续的牛奶和肉类生产。农村经济还将受益于农业的多样化和就业机会，这一行业目前正受到英国退欧后的压力。该项目基于更多地使用当地可获得的称为生物碱的植物化合物，这种化合物可以从水仙花中提取。随着水仙花在英国各地的广泛种植，这些化合物的生产和提取可以是当地的、可持续的和有弹性的。初步数据估计，通过使用水仙花中的一种特定生物碱，反刍动物的直接甲烷排放可以显著减少，同时将饲料蛋白质的利用效率提高50%。提高饲料蛋白质利用率将提高反刍动物部门的生产率，同时减少一氧化二氮的产生，一氧化二氮是另一种强有力的温室气体。这将随后减少对豆粕等高蛋白进口饲料的需求，提高英国畜牧业的可持续性。该项目为英国农业和更广泛的社会带来了几个好处。\*通过开发和验证一种旨在提高饲料蛋白质效率同时减少甲烷排放的新技术，减少反刍动物畜牧业的碳足迹(目前，企业乳制品行业排放的90%以上是奶牛产生的甲烷)。\*通过减少对高成本进口饲料材料的需求，提高乳制品行业的生产率和弹性。\*建立基于英国的供应链，以支持英国农业的多样化，并通过为农民提供更高的收入来促进农村经济。\*改善英国的食品安全，并提供农村就业机会。

This is a 48-month feasibility research project which aims to develop tools which will contribute to the COP26 Global Methane Pledge of cutting global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030\. The project will seek to develop a naturally sourced nutritional additive to reduce methane emissions from ruminants, which currently account for 80% of the total methane emissions from agriculture in the UK. The project will also address the requirement to improve the efficiency of feed utilisation by ruminants, which will reduce the demand for imported high-protein feed materials, supporting sustainable milk and meat production. The rural economy will also benefit through diversification and employment opportunities for farming, an industry currently challenged by post-Brexit pressures.The project is based on greater use of locally available plant-based compounds called alkaloids, which can be extracted from daffodils. As daffodils are grown widely throughout the UK, production and extraction these compounds can be local, sustainable and resilient. Preliminary data estimates that by using a specific alkaloid from daffodils, direct methane emissions from ruminants can be significantly reduced whilst simultaneously improving the efficiency of feed protein utilisation by 50%. Improving feed protein utilisation will lead to increased productivity of the ruminant sector whilst reducing the production of nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas. This would subsequently reduce the requirement for high-protein imported feeds such as soyabean meal, improving the sustainability of British farming.This project presents several benefits to both UK agriculture and wider society.\*Reduce the carbon footprint of the ruminant livestock sector by developing and validating a novel technology geared to boost feed protein efficiency whilst reducing methane emissions (currently more than 90% of the corporate dairy industry emissions are methane produced by cows).\*Improve productivity and resilience in the dairy sector by reducing the need to feed high-cost imported feed materials.\*Establish a UK-based supply chain to support the diversification of UK agriculture and boost the rural economy by providing higher incomes for farmers.\*Improve food security in the UK and provide rural job opportunities.