Green Genes from Transgenic Alfalfa Yields New ProductsBy
Linda McGraw April 8, 1998
Green genes from transgenic alfalfa may someday help solve animal
waste disposal problems now faced by hog and poultry producers.
Agricultural Research
Service and University
of Wisconsin researchers have teamed up to develop and harvest a
special alfalfa for its valuable enzymes. The extraordinary alfalfa
was created by University of Wisconsin scientists to yield
industrially valuable enzymes not normally found in alfalfa.
An ARS agricultural engineer at the
U.S. Dairy Forage
Research Center in Madison, Wis., has designed processes to
separate the three important components from the transgenic alfalfa.
Phytase is one of these components. It reduces the need for costly
phosphorus supplements in hog and poultry rations. Improving
phosphorus utilization in these animals can decrease its excretion in
their manure. Feed is the most costly part of raising hogs and
poultry, and phosphorus supplements cost about $3 per ton of feed.
Alfalfa-produced phytase may cost only half this much.
In addition to phytase, the transgenic alfalfa yields proteins and
xanthophyll, a pigmenting substance fed to poultry to give yellow
color to egg yolks and poultry skin.
The April issue of Agricultural Research, ARS' monthly
magazine, has an article about the research. The article is also on
the World Wide Web at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr98/alfa0498.htm
Scientific contact: Richard G. Koegel,
U.S. Dairy Forage
Research Center, Madison, Wisconsin, phone (608) 264-5149, fax
(608) 264-5147, e-mail office@dfrc.wisc.edu
|