2023
Evaluating the benefits of soybean with high protein and high sulfur amino acid content on gain and feed efficiency of poultry
Contributor/Checkoff:
Category:
Feed
Keywords:
Amino acidsBroiler chickens
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Hari B., USDA-ARS
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
23-107-D-A-1-A
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
$110,000
Brief Project Summary:
We believe that soy meal derived from our experimental lines will benefit livestock producers by delivering two nutritional goals (high protein and high sulfur amino acid content) in a single product. We are proposing a project aimed at evaluating the potential of these newly developed soybean lines to promote gain and feed efficiency of poultry.
Information And Results
Project Summary

Project Objectives

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Soybean is the preferred protein source for both poultry and swine feed. The preferred status of soybean is being challenged due to competition from alternative feed ingredients. Livestock producers and animal nutritionist expect a complete ration that focus not only on the protein content but also that supplies adequate quantities of essential amino acids. One of the major concerns for soybean meal is the deficiency in the sulfur containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine). In addition to protein quality the recent trend of lower levels of protein concentration among soybean cultivars possess an additional challenge. This creates a problem for both poultry and swine producers who desire soybean varieties with a higher protein content. Hence, there is a critical need to develop soybean cultivars with relatively higher levels of protein with improved sulfur amino acid content. Recently, we have developed experimental soybean lines that not only contain significantly higher amounts of protein (42-45%) but also improved sulfur amino acid content (60 -70% higher). With USB funding we evaluated the potential of these newly developed soybean lines to promote gain and feed efficiency of poultry. Two experiments were conducted with the primary objective of testing the hypothesis that nitrogen-corrected true metabolizable energy (TMEn) and standardized amino acid (AA) digestibility are not different in 3 new lines of soybeans with increased protein and increased sulfur AA (SAA) compared with conventional soybeans fed to chickens. Precision-fed rooster assays were conducted to determine TMEn and standardized AA digestibility in the 6 soybeans using conventional and cecectomized roosters, respectively. Results from Experiment 1 yielded TMEn values between 2.921 and 3.651 kcal/g DM with the values being greater (P < 0.05) for conventional than the Lee 5 and 3 cross soybeans (P < 0.05). Results from Experiment 2 showed no differences (P < 0.05) in standardized digestibility coefficients for AA among soybeans. Overall, the results obtained of this study indicated that it was possible to increase protein and SAA content in soybeans without affecting digestibility of AA, but reducing crude fat had a negative impact on TMEn. Digestible AA concentrations, particularly SAA, can be increased by crossing O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase overexpressing soybean lines with a high protein Korean soybean cultivar. The high protein and high sulfur amino acid containing soybean lines are a promising source of quality protein for poultry. However, additional studies are required to further evaluate the usefulness of these high protein/high sulfur soybean seeds.

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Soybean lines that contain high protein and high sulfur amino acid resulting from our work should differentiate US soy from other competitors and enhance the positive reputation of US soy. Additionally, our soy lines with its improved nutritional value will benefit both animal and human health.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.