Microtech™: The Power of Phytase for Sustainable Phosphorus Management in Livestock Farming

Jul 31, 2024

The livestock husbandry is a cornerstone of the global food system, playing a vital role in food security, agricultural development, and environmental sustainability. As a crucial segment of food production, the livestock husbandry has been developing effective strategies to enhance feed nutritional value, reduce environmental pollution, and improve animal productivity. Phytase is the most widely used feed enzyme that is enhancing phosphorus utilization, reducing phosphorus emission, and improves animal growth performance while reduces environmental pollution. This makes it a key factor in helping producers achieve sustainable livestock farming practices.

A vital feed additive for improving phosphorus utilization efficiency

Microtech™ is an innovative, thermostable phytase solution produced through deep liquid fermentation of genetically engineered strains. Its high thermal and acid resistance significantly enhances its compatibility for various feed additive formulations. Microtech™ improves phosphorus utilization in feed with higher nutrient matrix values, reduces emissions from livestock, and promotes the efficient use of natural resources.

Microtech™ breaks down phytic acid in feed, turning it into myo-inositol and phosphate, which boosts phosphorus absorption in animals. It also disrupts the structure of phytate salts, releasing essential minerals like iron, copper, zinc, and calcium, along with proteins and starch, making them more available for digestion. Additionally, Microtech™ reduces the negative effects of phytic acid on the digestive system, supporting overall animal health. Microtech™ exhibits exceptional heat resistance during high-temperature processing like granulation, retaining over 85% of its enzyme activity after pelleting at 85℃. It also has excellent acid stability, enhancing feed efficiency by facilitating enzymatic digestion in the animal gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, its outstanding metal ion tolerance ensures enzyme stability, while its superior protease tolerance allows it to withstand high concentrations of gastric and pancreatic proteases, demonstrating robust resistance to protease degradation for optimum livestock performance.

How Microtech™ Boost Feed Conversion Rates
  • Reducing Phosphorus Emissions: Microtech™ hydrolyzes phytic acid into myo-inositol and phosphate, increasing the phosphorus utilization in feed and reducing the phosphorus pollution in animal excrement, thereby benefiting the environment.
  • Lowering Feed Costs: By reducing the need for additional phosphorus sources, Microtech™ helps lower the overall cost of feed formulation.
  • Enhancing Animal Performance: By improving the utilization of nutrients such as protein and starch, and releasing the chelated minerals that take part in the effect of endogenous protease, amylase and tyrosinase, Microtech™ can enhance animal production performance, contributing to better growth performance and feed efficiency.
Studying Microtech™ in Poultry Diets

A study on the effect of Microtech™ was conducted with a corn-soybean meal diet. A total of 1,200 one-day-old white-feather broilers (half male and half female) were allocated into three treatment groups. The positive control diet contained normal dicalcium phosphate without phytase, the negative control diet had 0.1% less available phosphorus than the positive control, and the treatment diet was added with 100g/t of Microtech™ on top of he negative control diet. The entire experiment lasted for 42 days. Poultry feed was divided into 3 phases as follows:

  • Starter diet: 1 to 9 days old.
  • Grower diet: 10 to 23 days old.
  • Finisher diet: 24 to 42 days old.

Microtech™ demonstrated remarkable effects in enhancing poultry performance and economic returns. Compared to the control groups, adding 100g/t of Microtech™ significantly increased tibia ash percentage, improved feed conversion rates and profitability.

Discussion

Microtech™ enhances production efficiency and economic returns for animal producers while reducing the environmental footprint of animal farming. For example, a pig farm that integrated Microtech™ into their feed regimen experienced notable improvements in piglet growth and health. This innovative solution not only boosted livestock vitality but also significantly reduced phosphorus emissions from manure, promoting more sustainable operational processes. Additionally, by decreasing reliance on conventional phosphorus sources, the farm achieved significant savings on feed expenditure, thereby enhancing overall profitability.

Benefits of Supplementing Microtech™

Mircotech offers several significant benefits, particularly in animal nutrition and environmental sustainability:

  • Enhance Feed Nutritional Value

Mircotech™ enhances the utilization of phosphorus and calcium in feed, which is essential for bone development and nutrients metabolism.

  • Improve Animal Performance

By improving animals’ ability to utilize energy and protein in feed, Mircotech™ boosts growth rates and production performance, accelerating the development of livestock while enhancing overall farming efficiency.

  • Minimize Agricultural Pollution on Your Farm

Mircotech™ plays a pivotal role in addressing environmental challenges in livestock farming by enhancing the utilization of phosphorus and other essential minerals in animal manure. By optimizing these processes, Microtech™ effectively reduces phosphorus emissions, contributing significantly to environmental sustainability.

  • Lower Feed Costs

Microtech™ can substitute 30% to 75% of phosphorus sources in various feed types, thereby reducing dependence on the non-renewable Phosphorus resource and lowering feed costs. For example, in piglet feed, it can replace 30% of conventional phosphorus sources, such as dicalcium phosphate, leading to reduced demand and cost savings.

  • Improve Resource Utilization

Microtech™ releases mineral elements bound to phytate in feed, improving resource efficiency by reducing mineral supplementation while maintaining animal production performance, thus alleviating pressure on natural resource extraction.

  • Support Sustainable Farming

Microtech™ contributes directly to a substantial reduction in phosphorus emissions from animal farming, enhancing value for producers while minimizing the environmental footprint of animal production. This innovative solution supports both economic and ecological sustainability, promoting a more balanced approach to animal agriculture.

Learn More About Microtech™

Microtech™ has been extensively tested to confirm its environmental and sustainability benefits, demonstrating enzyme activity retention rates ranging from 85% to 98% under high-temperature pelletizing conditions.

VTR Biotech holds multiple patents for Microtech™ and has conducted thorough research and development, showcasing its substantial impact on enhancing phosphorus utilization, decreasing phosphorus emissions, cutting feed costs, and enhancing animal production performance. Microtech™ has attained ISO 9001 certification for Quality Management Systems and ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management Systems.

Contact

VTR Biotech │ Feed Enzymes Solutions
Email: [email protected]