Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XIX
Written by Stelian Matei PETRE, Stefana JURCOANE
In Romania, up to 90% of the farms have linked the agricultural and animal husbandry business in order to reduce the inputs and to increase profitability and business sustainability. Camelina sativa is also an rotational oil seed crop, harvested and used after oil extraction as a protein meal in romanian dairy commercial farms This study shows the nutritional potential of Camelina sativa meal, by-product from Camelina seeds after oil extraction, oil used as renewable source for several types biofuels. Feeding is the biggest input in dairy cattle farms, due to higher worldwide demand, protein is one of biggest financial inputs in dairy cattle nutrition of commercial farms. Moreover, traditional protein meals are not available for whole seasons and solutions are sought permanently. In order to reduce the inclusion rate of traditional meals such as soybean meal, rapeseed meal and sunflower meal, any source of protein is welcomed, especially when is a by-product from renewable biofuels production that enters in the food production chain. We performed a study for assessing the inclusion rate of traditional meals in several commercial dairy farms with more than 300 milking cows, were the consumption of protein meals are important due to high milk production. Camelina meal has big potential to replace up to 15% of the protein concentrate which will provide a better utilisation of biofuels technology by-products, from financial point of view and more important, there might be an environmental protection due to reduction of Greenhouse gases resulted from biofuels whole chain production, determined with Life Cycle Assessment method.
[Read full article] [Citation]
camelina meal
