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Research article2011Peer reviewedOpen access

Evaluation of canola meal as a protein supplement for dairy cows: A review and a meta-analysis

Huhtanen, Pekka; Hetta, Mårten; Swensson, Christian

Abstract

Huhtanen, P., Hetta, M. and Swensson, C. 2011. Evaluation of canola meal as a protein supplement for dairy cows: A review and a meta-analysis. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 529-543. A review and a meta-analysis were conducted to compare the feeding value of soybean meal (SBM) and canola meal (CM) in dairy cows and to evaluate the effects of heat-treatment of CM (TCM) on the performance of dairy cows. The dataset included in total 292 treatment means from 122 studies, in which dietary crude protein (CP) concentration was increased by replacing energy supplements with protein supplements. A mixed model regression analysis with random study effect was used to estimate the marginal production responses to different protein sources. The differences between the slopes were compared by t-test. All protein sources increased dry matter intake, but the responses were greater (P<0.01) for CM and TCM compared with SBM. Feeding CM or TCM produced greater (P<0.01) daily milk yield responses than SBM (3.4 +/- 0.19 and 3.7 +/- 0.25 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.25) kg kg(-1) in CP intake. Marginal milk protein yield responses (g kg(-1) increase in CP intake) were greater (P <0.01) for CM (136 +/- 5.4) and TCM (133 +/- 8.5) compared with SBM (98 +/- 8.0). Smaller response to incremental CP intake can partly be related to the higher average dietary CP concentration in SBM studies. Literature data on rumen ammonia N concentration and omasal protein flow did not support the higher ruminal tabulated ruminal CP degradability of CM compared with SBM. It is concluded that CM can successfully be substituted for SBM on isonitrogenous basis and that most feed evaluation systems overestimate metabolizable protein concentration of SBM relative to CM.

Keywords

Canola meal; soybean meal; protein evaluation; milk production

Published in

Canadian Journal of Animal Science
2011, Volume: 91, number: 4, pages: 529-543
Publisher: AGRICULTURAL INST CANADA

      SLU Authors

    • Huhtanen, Pekka

      • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
      • Hetta, Mårten

        • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
        • Swensson, Christian

          • Department of Rural Buildings and Animal Husbandry [LBT], Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
        Animal and Dairy Science
        Veterinary Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.4141/CJAS2011-029

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/45957