Resumen de Proyecto europeo FP7 SMEthane: Plataforma tecnológica para el desarrollo de aditivos nutricionales para reducir la producción de metano: Esfuerzo conjunto entre empresa e investigación
David R. Yáñez Ruiz, R. Losa Cuadrado, C. Nuñez, N. Tessier, B. Medina, A. Shearer, S. de Campanere, Diego P. Morgavi, F. Fievez, C.J. Newbold
This project is designed to address the restrictions that SMEs face in successfully developing and marketing novel compounds, in particular plant extracts, capable of decreasing methane production from ruminant animals. The consortium is comprised by 5 SMEs: Agolin SA (Switzerland), DOMCA (Spain), Neem Biotech (UK) and NorFeedSud and Phytosynthese (France) plus 5 European Research Institutes and Universities: CSIC (Spain), Aberystwyth University (UK), INRA (France) and University of Ghent and ILVO (Belgium). The project was funded by the 7th FrameWork program of the European Commission through the specific call ‘Research for the Benefit of SMEs’ and had a duration of 2 years. The technological platform includes : 1) baseline information on the stability of plant extracts under different environmental conditions (effect of pelleting process and effect of storing at different temperatures (4, 20, 30 ºC) over 1and 2 months; 2) in vitro screening of different compounds that covers the use of different diets and pH; 3) in vivo measurements over short (7 days) and long (6 weeks) term treatments in sheep, goats, beef and dairy cattle and potential transfer of additives into milk; 4) estimation based on data obtained on the effect of including plant extract in ruminant diets on productivity, profitability (both with and without carbon credits) and greenhouse gas emissions per animals and per farm unit. This project has shown that integration of tests of nutritional additives is necessary to identify those with potential for further development. The anti-methanogenic activity varies according to factors such as diet, rumen conditions and animal species. The effect persist in some cases and in other cases needs at least 2 weeks to take place, which highlights the importance of conducting medium to long term trials.
