As of the end of May this year, more than 170 "science and technology innovation small courtyard" service stations in Yitong Manchu Autonomous County, Jilin Province, combined with Yitong's "civilized economy" model, have successfully introduced the high-efficiency utilization technology of microbial enzyme collaborative fermentation straw feed (hereinafter referred to as microbial enzyme collaborative fermentation technology), and applied it in local beef cattle breeding. This technology has covered 170000 local beef cattle, not only reducing feed costs by about 10%, but also greatly improving beef quality, increasing the selling price of each beef cattle by about 1600 yuan. In the past, the utilization of straw feed mainly faced two major challenges: first, the issue of animal palatability, that is, whether herbivorous animals such as cows and sheep are willing to feed; The second issue is digestion rate, which refers to whether animals can effectively digest and absorb feed after consuming it Zhang Rijun, a professor of the State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, School of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, said in an interview that after more than 30 years of research and application, his team has successfully developed the fungus enzyme collaborative fermentation technology, making animals such as cattle and sheep more willing to eat feed and effectively absorb the nutrients therein. The straw, which was once discarded or burned, has now become a coveted commodity in the eyes of farmers. According to data recently released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the annual production of straw from major crops such as corn, rice, wheat, rapeseed, soybeans, and cotton in China is 865 million tons, with a collectible amount of 731 million tons and a comprehensive utilization rate of 88.1%. But the feed utilization rate only accounts for 20.7%. "The nutritional content of 1 ton of straw is equivalent to 0.25 tons of cereal feed." Associate Professor Si Dayong from the School of Animal Science and Technology at China Agricultural University said that if we efficiently convert the 87 million tons of straw that can be collected but not yet utilized in China each year into feed, it would be equivalent to saving 21.75 million tons of grain feed. This will greatly reduce the import pressure on grain feed such as corn. Crop straw is one of the important feed sources for animal husbandry, rich in components such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. After physical, chemical, and biological treatment, straw can effectively compensate for the shortage of high-quality forage supply. Si Dayong introduced that using coarse feed such as straw can not only reduce breeding costs, but also maintain the digestive function of cattle and sheep, promoting gastrointestinal health. However, due to the high crude fiber content, low protein and mineral content of straw, it has poor palatability and low digestibility when directly fed to cattle and sheep, which limits its widespread application. In addition to direct feeding, the current straw feed processing methods in China include silage, yellow storage, ammonification, and steam explosion. However, Si Dayong said that these methods have various limitations. "For example, silage technology is only suitable for fresh straw before harvesting seeds, and not for dry straw. Although yellow storage technology can extend the shelf life of straw, the nutritional content of straw treated in this way is relatively insufficient. Once stored improperly, it is also susceptible to moisture and mold, posing a threat to the health of animal husbandry." Fermentation preparations make feed delicious and healthy. In response to the shortcomings of existing technologies, Zhang Rijun's team has successfully developed a new type of microbial enzyme synergistic fermentation preparation using modern biotechnology, metabolic control fermentation technology, enzyme engineering application technology, and microecological nutrition theory. The formulation is designed for the physiological characteristics of ruminants and can efficiently ferment crop straw such as corn. Zhang Rijun introduced that the use process of the preparation is simple and easy to implement. Firstly, the straw is kneaded or cut short to increase its specific surface area and improve its subsequent fermentation efficiency. Subsequently, a microbial enzyme synergistic fermentation preparation was added to package and ferment the straw. After fermentation treatment, the straw has a clear sour aroma, a soft texture, degraded lignocellulose, and significantly increased reducing sugar content. The processed straw is also rich in a large amount of active and beneficial microorganisms, which can be directly mixed with other feed for feeding. Traditionally, silage and yellow storage technologies mainly rely on lactic acid bacteria for acidification storage, but cannot guarantee that the fermented feed is both sour and fragrant, making it enjoyable for animals to eat and digest well. Our technology has precisely solved this problem Zhang Rijun introduced that the synergistic fermentation technology of bacteria and enzymes can break down large molecules such as crude protein, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in straw into small molecules, and even partially convert them into amino acids and glucose, under the joint action of multiple enzymes and various beneficial microorganisms, thereby cutting off molecular chains, breaking the cell wall, and rapidly releasing nutrients in the intercellular matrix, which are fully absorbed by animals. In addition, this technology utilizes a variety of enzymes such as proteases, lipases, amylases, and cellulase produced by specific microorganisms, effectively solving the problems of insufficient enzyme production by a single microbial fermentation and sour but not fragrant feed. At the same time, the beneficial microbial community in the formulation can efficiently convert nitrogen in the rumen of cattle and sheep into high-quality microbial bacterial protein, which not only improves nitrogen utilization efficiency but also contributes to the healthy growth of cattle and sheep. Zhang Rijun believes that the innovation of microbial enzyme co fermentation preparations lies in their focus not only on feed storage, but also on the breeding benefits after animal feeding, including improving feed digestibility, enhancing animal disease resistance, and improving animal product quality. In addition, this formulation is easy to use, improves feed quality, reduces production costs, and has positive significance for the healthy, steady, and sustainable development of the fermented feed industry. The technology has been effectively promoted in multiple regions. After the successful development of microbial enzyme collaborative fermentation preparations, how to effectively promote them and truly benefit people's livelihoods has become the key. Wu Xuexue, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Center of the Feed Biotechnology Laboratory of China Agricultural University, said that the team has established a "Science and Technology Innovation Small Courtyard" service station to promote the synergistic fermentation technology of bacteria and enzymes, enabling cattle and sheep farmers to independently process biologically fermented feed. At present, this model has been effectively promoted in Jilin Province, Anhui Province, Hebei Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and other places. Changing traditional farming habits is a major challenge in the process of technology promotion. "The variety of functional feed additives and traditional feeding methods in the market often leave farmers at a loss when facing new technologies." Wu Xuexue said that in order to overcome this problem, they provide farmers with microbial enzyme synergistic fermentation agents without changing their feeding habits. Farmers only need a simple operation to activate the formulation and spray it on dry grass for cattle and sheep to eat, or put it into water for cattle and sheep to drink. In just one month, farmers can see shiny fur, increased fat, reduced fly odor, and a decrease in the cost of refined materials for cattle and sheep. The synergistic fermentation technology of bacteria and enzymes has been widely recognized and effectively promoted Wu Xuexue said. Looking ahead to the future, Wu Xuexue believes that the application prospects of microbial enzyme synergistic fermentation technology are very broad. This technology can not only be used for crop straw, but also in various types of roughage such as tail vegetables, sugarcane bagasse, pineapple peel, pine needles, and lime sticks. In Yitong and Dongliao, based on the abundant pine tree resources in Changbai Mountain, the team utilized microbial enzyme collaborative fermentation technology to convert pine needles into feed for beef cattle and successfully developed high-quality pine needle beef. In Suixi County, Anhui Province, the team applied the preparation to the local soybean milk wastewater and soybean residue resources, further promoting the diversified application and development of technology. (Lai Xin She)