Methanotrophic Bacteria in Fermented Feed to Reduce Ruminant Methane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ruminants produce significant amounts of methane as part of their digestive process, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating a method to reduce methane emission from livestock.
Innovation Solution
A bacterially enriched animal feed composition is produced by fermenting a proteinaceous feed material with an inoculum of bacteria sufficient to outgrow existing microorganisms and then adding methanotrophic bacteria, which reduces methane production in the digestive tract of ruminants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional feed is provided to ruminants, then the animals receive adequate nutrition, but significant amounts of methane are produced during digestion
Solution Approach 1:
Methanotrophic bacteria are added to the feed during fermentation to pre-establish methane-consuming microorganisms in the animal's digestive system before methane production occurs. This preliminary introduction of beneficial bacteria allows them to colonize and actively consume methane during the animal's normal digestive processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful methane gas produced during rumination into a beneficial process by introducing methanotrophic bacteria that consume this methane. The harmful emission is transformed into a substrate for beneficial microorganisms, reducing greenhouse gas output while maintaining normal digestive function
2Reliability
If an inoculum with sufficient bacterial concentration is added to ferment the feed, then existing microorganisms are outgrown and controlled, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention controls microorganism growth by adjusting key fermentation parameters including maintaining pH between 5.0-7.0, controlling temperature at 20-40°C, and regulating the concentration of inoculum added. These parameter changes create optimal conditions for desired bacteria while suppressing unwanted microorganisms without requiring complex intervention systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process effectively decreases methane emissions from ruminants by utilizing methanotrophic bacteria in a fermented feed composition, addressing the environmental impact of livestock methane production.
Implementation Method 1
adding methanotrophic bacteria to the fermented proteinaceous feed material to provide a bacterially enriched animal feed composition... to reduce amount of methane emanating from the digestive tract of ruminants
Implementation Method 2
combining the materials of steps a) and b) and fermenting the proteinaceous feed material of step a) using the inoculums of step b)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for the production of a bacterially enriched animal feed composition. The process comprises the steps of a) providing a proteinaceous feed material to be fermented; b) providing an inoculum comprising bacteria, and wherein the concentration of bacteria in the inoculum of step b) is sufficient to outgrow any bacteria, yeast or moulds present in the proteinaceous feed material of step a); c) combining the materials of steps a) and b) and fermenting the proteinaceous feed material of step a) using the inoculums of step b), thereby providing a fermented proteinaceous feed material; and d) adding methanotrophic bacteria to the fermented proteinaceous feed material to provide a bacterially enriched animal feed composition.