Goals of the research project:
- Characterization and feed value determination of the dried grain stillage from the Pischelsdorf bioethanol plant
- Examination of the equivalent use of dried stillage of domestic origin in exchange for (imported) soybean meal in a high-yielding Austrian dairy herd
- Creation of consultation documents and application recommendations for practice
This is a cooperation project between the Lower Austria Chamber of Agriculture, the Agricultural Federal Experimental Industries GmbH and the LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein.
When evaluating and using grain stillage from bioethanol production, it should be noted that the technology and raw materials are subject to constant change. Stills can vary significantly in consistency, properties and nutritional content. The reasons for the fluctuations can be caused by the raw material used in ethanol production (wheat, rye, corn, wheat/barley mixtures), the proportion of thin stillage returned to the feed, the duration or completeness of the fermentation process and the drying process.
Feed intake, digestibility and the resulting values for energy content and protein value are the key parameters that describe the effect of the feed on the animal. The experimental design of the feeding trial with dairy cows at a high performance level covers these aspects together with those in the “ActiProt Goat” project and thus takes into account the goal of characterizing and determining the feed value of the Austrian grain stillage.
The knowledge gained can be used to develop feed rations with dry stillage for dairy cows across all performance ranges and to make recommendations for the optimal use of this nutritionally and agriculturally interesting alternative to soybean meal.
Further information on project management can be found in the database for research and sustainable development (Dafne) -> Link
