High Quality Feed from Crop Residues- Sold State Fermentation

The global population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050 [1], driving a significant increase in the demand for animal protein. This has led to an urgent need for substantial increase in the supply of sustainable feed sources [2]. To address this and align with UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), securing sustainable food and animal feed sources is critical [3, 4]. In Qatar, Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., Kenya), and South Asia (e.g., India and Pakistan), farmers face shortages of affordable, high-quality animal feed, limiting livestock productivity. Crop residues (such as sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane trash, rice straw, wheat straw, maize stover, etc.), generated in vast quantities, have low protein (2–5%) and high lignocellulosic content (35–50% cellulose, 25–30% hemicellulose, 10–25% lignin) [5], leading to digestibility (often less than 30%). The Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute (QEERI)-HBKU’s lab-scale research institute has validated the viability of producing high-quality feed from local crop residues using optimized yeast solid state fermentation (SSF), achieving yields of ≥300% crude protein increase compared to untreated feedstock under controlled conditions, supported by two US patents filed by the team (US 63/837,336 and US20250146040A1). This project presents a transformative, circular bioeconomy model designed to convert abundant, low-value crop residues, specifically sugarcane trash/bagasse, rice straw, and wheat straw, into a high-value, nutritious animal feed through an innovative and scalable yeast-based SSF platform. This solution is strategically designed for viability in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), leveraging a cost-effective pre-treatment process using locally available resources like wood ash or lime to break down recalcitrant lignocellulosic structures, thereby unlocking fermentable sugars without the prohibitive expense or regulatory complications of chemicals or enzymes. This pre-treated biomass serves as a substrate for robust, non-GMO yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida utilis, and thermotolerant Kluyveromyces marxianus) in a low-water, low-energy SSF system, efficiently upgrading the protein content from a baseline of 3-5% to a target of over 18%. Lab-scale and pilot plants SSF and feed trials will be conducted at partner institutes in Qatar (e.g., Al Sulateen Agriculture Research and Training Centre), targeting Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7-8. The study will optimize economical pretreatments, nutrient supplementation (e.g., ammonium sulfate), and fermentation conditions to maximize protein content and scalability. The project will execute a structured pathway from lab-scale optimization to pilot-scale validation and comprehensive animal feeding trials at our partner institute in Qatar and with a potential in other countries in South Asia and/or Sub-Saharan Africa. The final deliverable is a complete technology package, including a validated techno-economic analysis demonstrating a production cost of

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)