The potential applications of brown seaweed as an alternative feed for ruminant livestock

The chemical composition and in vitro drymatter digestibility of the species were screened over a 10-month period.Chapter 4 was designed to screen the effects of the four brown seaweed specieson in vitro gas and methane production compared to Medicagosativa, a terrestrial forage. Chapter 5 discusses the potential ofdeveloping rapid methods of measuring the nutritive value of seaweeds in theruminant diet using Near Infrared (NIR) and Mid Infrared (MIR) spectroscopy.Finally, Chapters 6 and 7 explored the effect of ensilage, a commonly usedpreservation method for ruminant livestock feeds, on the characteristics ofbrown seaweed as a livestock feed.

In a preliminary study (Chapter 6), twospecies (Fucus vesiculosus and Saccharina latissimi) wereselected for ensilage; these species were chosen based on their contrastingchemical profiles and their high biomass availability at the time ofharvest. Saccharina latissimi progressed to the next study(Chapter 7) which was a more in-depth exploration of the characteristics ofseaweed silage. The studies presented in Chapters 6 and 7 highlightthe potential of ensilage as a method of preserving the nutritive valueof Saccharina latissimi, which might represent a feasible,post-harvest method of preserving seaweeds in temperate regions such asNorthern Ireland.The body of work presented in thisthesis contributes to the emerging knowledge on the potential applications ofbrown seaweed as a feed for ruminant livestock.

It is expected that this workwill support the continued search for viable, alternative feeds for livestockto safeguard local feed security and to promote the sustainability of theruminant livestock sector in Northern Ireland. <br><br><i>Thesis emabargoed until 31st July 2029</i><br>