Abstrait

Annual protein yield and a priori protein potentials in three legumes and two grasses

Stella Fernandez

There is a need for new protein sources that have a low environmental and climatic impact. Perpetual crops have advantages over annual crops, and future bio refinery technology will be able to extract proteins from perennial biomass for the creation of protein concentrates. To support the economic viability of bio refinery plants, the search for the best-suited biomass crops must entail harvesting throughout the growing season. Two grasses were studied with increasing N fertiliser rates (175, 350, and 525 kg N ha1), as well as three legumes with a four-cut approach. To calculate potential extractable protein, the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) was employed. A key, previously presented in the literature, was applied in order to translate the CNCPS results into potential extracted protein concentrate. Crude protein (CP) yield per ha was highest in red clover in 2015 (2907 kg CP ha−1) and the fertilized (525 kg N ha−1) tall fescue in 2016 (2435 kg CP ha−1). When translating the numbers into potential extraction of protein concentrate, the red clover had the highest protein concentrate yield per ha in 2015 (835 kg CP ha−1) and Lucerne in 2016 (803 kg CP ha−1).