Protein Research

Protein efficiency: Get more out of your bite, or your food’s bite

Let’s be realistic, we won’t all become vegan. That means we have to look into ways to reduce the impact that the production and consumption of animal-based food has on the planet. We will also need to use available proteins more efficiently.

From grass to grub: Grasslands as an underrated source of proteins

Grasslands comprise 80 % of all the planet's agriculturally productive land. Its yield is extremely rich in proteins, yet up to now only a fraction of it is used for feeding animals, because so far, grassland yield has been thought fit only for feeding ruminants like cows.

It is not acceptable that large quantities of valuable proteins end up in landfills because of this presumption. We need to feed billions and billions of animals to feed billions of people, and protein efficiency is the watchword: proteins are essential for a healthy diet and therefore too important to be wasted.

To make progress, the University of Hohenheim has been working on the project ProGruen (ProGreen or ProGrass) to research the full potential of grasslands.

On the premises of the University we created a model bioeconomy including a farm, a meadow, animals, and a biorefinery demonstration plant. Then we started the process:

  • Grow grassland.
  • Cut it.
  • Extract the proteins from the plants and manufacture them into protein pellets and press cake.
  • Feed the pellets to non-ruminants (poultry and pigs) and see what happens.

The chicks and pigs love it!

And after all, proteins are proteins and can also be processed into powders to be used in human food. This would enhance the efficient use of proteins even more because it is more sustainable and economical for people to eat protein directly instead of first having the animals eat it. If we stop routing the protein through the animals’ stomachs, then this would reduce animal farming and its impact on the environment.
Good to know
  • In the ProGruen project, 45 metric tons of grassland yielded 1,000 kilograms of high-protein feed.
  • The remaining biomass of the ProGruen project can be used to manufacture paper or insulating material. It can also be recycled in a biogas plant and used for fertilizing fields again. A perfect circle!
  • The ProGruen project is sponsored by the Ministry for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Wuerttemberg (MLR).

Digging deeper

From Gardens to Fields: Protein-Efficient Soy from around the Corner

The University of Hohenheim's research on soybeans is citizen science at its best! In 2016, the University started the fascinating citizen science project 1000 Gaerten (1000 gardens). The overall goal of the project is finding out which kinds of soy are the most promising for cultivation in Central Europe, yield a high protein level, and are best suited for manufacturing regional tofu.

Why citizen science? Because it is a great opportunity on so many levels: The more people involved, the larger the geographical and climatic area covered and the more and different data collected. In fact, more data is collected than scientists alone could achieve. Citizen science is also great for the amateur participants. It's the chance to become a part of the scientific process and shape the future!

1000 Gaerten

If you want to grow 10 different types of soy for scientific purposes, you need a bit of space. To cover a wide geographical area, you need even more space. The idea of 1000 Gaerten is that private gardeners all around Germany help you by providing the necessary space in their private gardens. If 1000 gardeners help you with 5 square meters each, that adds up to a lot of space.

In addition, each garden is different in its biodiversity, it has its specific microclimate, and the gardeners all have their unique skills. The data the gardeners are able to collect will consequently be extremely diverse and varied, hence very valuable.

1000 gardens were what we hoped for, and more than 2000 gardens were what we got! Amateur gardeners, schools, public gardening projects, farmers, and clubs all over Germany wanted to be part of the act. Starting with the sowing season, they nurtured and cared for their soy in the months to come. This was a science project, so every gardener had to keep records and upload the collected data onto an online platform regularly.

Between July and December, it was harvesting season: The pods of each of the 10 soy breeds went into separate bags and were sent off to the University of Hohenheim where our scientists analyzed the soy’s quality specifically in terms of protein levels. The most promising were chosen to be manufactured into mini tofu and tested for yield and firmness. Those breeds made it to the next level, meaning that they were used for cultivation next season on a larger scale to be tested again in tofu.

1000 Gaerten was sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Some of the breeds from the project even made it to the top! They were bought by breeding companies to be developed into “real” varieties that will certainly make it in the big world of agriculture!
Good to know
  • Soybeans are a significant source of animal feed. Farm animals consume up to one billion tons of soybeans and maize per year.
  • The largest producers of soybeans include the United States, Brazil, Argentina, and China. China is also the biggest importer of soybean products, followed by the EU.
  • Soybeans are primarily cultivated for their oil, which is used in cooking, food production, and various industrial applications such as the production of biodiesel, printing inks, and plastics.

Digging deeper

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