Growth performance and preference studies to evaluate solvent-extracted Brassica napus or Brassica juncea canola meal fed to weaned pigs1

Abstract

Inclusion of conventional dark-seeded (Brassica napus) and novel yellow-seeded (Brassica juncea) canola meal (CM) can potentially replace soybean (Glycine max) meal (SBM) in pig diets. Our objective was to examine the preference of weaned pigs fed diets containing SBM or B. napus or B. juncea CM and to compare it against previously reported growth performance data (Exp. 1 and 2). In Exp. 1 and 2, growth performance was evaluated using 220 and 240 weaned pigs, respectively, by replacing dietary SBM with up to 20% B. napus (Exp. 1) or 24% B. juncea CM (Exp. 2). Feeding up to 20% B. napus CM to pigs did not affect growth performance, but increasing inclusion of B. juncea CM linearly reduced (P < 0.001) ADFI, ADG, and G:F most likely due to the higher content of glucosinolates, particularly gluconapin in B. juncea CM as confirmed by principle component analysis. In Exp. 3 and 4, SBM and B. napus and B. juncea CM fed at 20% dietary inclusion were evaluated in 2 preference studies using 216 and 144 pigs of 35 d of age, respectively. Pens equipped with 2 feeders housed 8 or 4 pigs per pen, in Exp. 3 and 4, respectively. Diets formulated to equal NE and standardized ileal digestible AA were offered in a paired choice as mash (Exp. 3) or pellets (Exp. 4) for 3 consecutive 7-d periods (3 d nontest and 4 d preference test). The 3 treatments offered were (i) SBM vs. B. napus CM, (ii) SBM vs. B. juncea CM, and (iii) B. napus vs. B. juncea CM. Pigs preferred SBM (P < 0.001) over B. napus and B. juncea CM diets, and pigs preferred B. napus (P < 0.001) over B. juncea CM diet. High content of the glucosinolate gluconapin likely reduced feed preference in B. juncea more than in B. napus CM. In conclusion, the contrast between preference and performance studies feeding CM to pigs indicates that preference studies should be interpreted cautiously until validated by growth performance data.

Effects of graded levels of microbial phytase on apparent total tract digestibility of calcium and phosphorus and standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus in four sources of canola meal and in soybean meal fed to growing pigs

“…Canola meal is the second most commonly used protein source for animal diets in the world (Arntfield and Hickling, 2011;Parr et al, 2015), but use of canola meal in diets for pigs is limited by the greater concentration of dietary fiber and reduced AA digestibility compared with SBM (Trindade Neto et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2014). However, new varieties of canola with larger seeds than conventional canola have been developed (Landero et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2014;Sanjayan et al, 2014), and the concentration of CP in the meal from these varieties is increased and the concentration of NDF is reduced (Liu et al, 2014).…”

Feeding increasing dietary inclusions of extrudedBrassica junceacanola expeller-pressed cake on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and jowl fatty acids of growing-finishing pigs

“…The reduced fibre content may result in a greater dietary energy value for B. juncea allowing greater inclusions in pig diets vs. B. napus (Le et al 2012). However, B. juncea generally has more than double the glucosinolate content of typically sourced B. napus (Landero et al 2012a), which may decrease feed intake of animals and negatively affect thyroid, liver, and kidney functions (Tripathi and Mishra 2007). Extrusion of canola seed prior to expeller pressing may decrease the negative effects of glucosinolates by inactivating myrosinase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes glucosinolates to harmful breakdown compounds (Huang et al 1995;Liang et al 2002).…”

Feeding Brassica juncea or Brassica napus canola meal at increasing dietary inclusions to growing-finishing gilts and barrows

“…Gluconapin has a more bitter taste than other glucosinolates, which could lead to a dislike of the taste of diets that include B. juncea CM. In a preference study, weaned pigs preferred diets with B. napus CM over diets with B. juncea CM (Landero et al, 2012). Landero et al (2013) suggested that weaned pigs are more sensitive to glucosinolates contained in B. juncea CM than grower or finisher pigs, which could be the reason why pigs in our study showed a trend, but not a significant reduction in feed disappearance when fed B. juncea compared with B. napus CM.…”