Reducing farmers’ environmental footprint Because of high supplementation, elements concentrated in manure are accumulated in the soil, where they may impose a medium or long-term toxicity risk to plants and micro-organ- isms. For instance, Zn will achieve a concentration of around 200ppm within 120 years, if slurry applications contained zinc are not reduced. Soil microbial activity and mass are adversely affected by even lower Cu and Zn concentrations in soils (30 to 50 and 100 to 200 ppm, respectively). Reducing the trace elements supplementation level is a key way to extend this timescale and thus minimise your environmental footprint. Organic minerals were designed to reduce antagonistic rela- tionships within the gastrointestinal tract and thus increase the bioavailability of trace elements. Studies comparing the bioavailability of glycinate to sulphate have shown good re- sults in favor of the organic source, while maintaining at least the same performance. In piglets 31.1% improved absorb- ability was found and in ruminants bioavailability was almost doubled in the presence of a strong antagonist. Consequently, less input also means less output. Due to this superior absorp- tion, it is now possible to reduce the supplement dose and maintain or even increase performance.
Answer to new challenges Because of their high bioavailability, organic trace minerals can meet new challenges due to the legislation, in favor of re- ducing the input and output of minerals while supporting an- imal health and welfare. In this context, as the pressure from legislation and consum- ers grows, organic trace minerals are becoming more and more relevant. They positively support sustainability within the production chain as they bring safety to workers handling the product; they maximize the return on investment by reducing the ex- pense of supplements and improving performance with low- er levels of supplementation. Finally, their bioavailability reduces the mineral environmen- tal footprint by reducing output which causes soil pollution and long-term toxicity risk. As part of the feed industry, or- ganic trace elements still have some challenges. But, in the end, they play an important role in sustainability as they can help reduce farmers’ environmental footprint and lead to better quality products that are in line with public health regulations for end consumers while preserving the welfare of workers in the production chain.
▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 28, No. 2, 2020
In ruminants, improved bio- availability of glycinates was found even in the presence of a strong antagonist.
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