Why is this research important for Alberta ag?
Faba bean (Vicia faba) is a pulse crop that is well-suited to crop rotations in the more northerly crop growing latitudes in western Canada. Faba bean acreage in western Canada is constrained by limited export markets, therefore sustainable acreage expansion will be closely tied to the ability to grow domestic markets, including the livestock feed industry.
There is considerable interest among poultry producers to identify novel or underutilized feedstuffs that can help manage feed costs in the face of increasing global feed commodity prices. Faba beans in particular offer tremendour potential for poultry producers to reduce their reliance on imported soybean meal, while simultaneously reducing the greenhouse gas intensity (GHG) of feed rations.
This project would support the use of western Canadian faba beans in broiler and laying hen rations by generating crucial information about the digestible nutrient content and the relative significance of anti-nutritional factors known to be present in the beans. It will also answer practical questions about the role that faba beans can play in managing feed costs, displacing imported soybean meal from rations, and reducing the GHG intensity of poultry production.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
This research would benefit poultry producers by providing an opportunity for the industry to reduce its reliance on imported soybean meal and potentially help manage feed costs.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
Findings would be shared through factsheets and webinars aimed at nutritionists and poultry producers, magazine articles for the general poultry industry, plain-language research posters for the commercial industry, and peer-reviewed publications for the scientific community.