The Centre for Animal Nutrition in the Netherlands (http://www.anu.wur.nl/UK/), in association with Lallemand Animal Nutrition (http://www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com) organizes a Symposium entitled: “Role of Plant Cell Walls in Dairy Cow Nutrition” on the 22nd and 23rd of March 2010. The venue for this Symposium is “Hof van Wageningen” at Wageningen, The Netherlands.
A large proportion of the solar energy reaching our planet is fixed in plant cell walls in the form of cellulose, hemi-celluloses and lignin. Due to its chemical properties (β-glucosidic-bound glucose polymers), plant cell walls are indigestible for humans and animals and therefore not suitable as an energy-yielding food source. As such, a major part of the solar energy cannot be used to feed the growing global population.
By symbiosis with specific micro-organisms, various animal species are capable of utilising the energy and molecules embodied in plant cell walls as a source for energy and nutrients. For ruminant species, plant cell walls are an important feed component, not only as an energy and nutrient source, but also as a regulatory factor for feed intake and for a healthy rumen function. During the symposium, world-leading experts will address the importance of plant cell wall characteristics in nutrition management of dairy cattle. |
On 23rd March, an excursion is organised to the “De Marke” in Hengelo (Gld), the Netherlands. “De Marke” is a low-mineral-input dairy farm and a demonstration/research farm of Wageningen UR. The reduced input of N and P fertilizer affects cell wall characteristics and consequently dairy cow performance. Staff of Wageningen UR will provide information on the impact this has and the research which is involved to deal with these effects.