UK: Nitrogen-efficient plants can be used to replace soybean meal in feed

Actions are underway to reduce the UK's farming sector by 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year under a new research program involving 17 industry and research partners and more than 200 field farmers. The main goals of the program include a 54% reduction in CO2 equivalents and a 50% reduction in the amount of imported soybean meal in feed rations. The soybean meal will be replaced by domestically grown legumes. Their cultivation is increasing from the current 5% to 20% (1 million hectares) of arable crop rotation on UK farms. This would reduce nitrogen fertilizer use by 233,000 tonnes, resulting in a reduction of 0.55 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. The use of the subsequent products in animal feed would result in an additional 0.7 million tons of CO2 equivalent reduction. The benefit of nitrogen remaining in the following crops through soil enrichment would also result in an additional 0.25 million tons of CO2 equivalent reduction. These targets are driven by measures ...