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technical
A worldwide
phosphorus
shortage is forcing
up prices of feed
phosphates. One
way to avoid this
extra expense is
by a greater use
of feed enzymes,
as Jason Sands
explains

s the demand for phosphate fertilisers continues to rise to meet increases in global cereal
demand, poultry producers face the challenge of sourcing
sufficient quantities of feed phosphates to meet bird requirements.
Adding more phytase to feed offers poultry producers an opportunity to overcome these limited
supplies of feed phosphates and also
allows opportunities for feed cost
savings at a time of escalating feed
phosphate prices.
Research on new generation, bacterial phytases has shown them to
be more effective at releasing plantbound phytate phosphorus than
traditional fungal phytases. At a
standard inclusion rate of 500 FTU
(phytase units)/kg feed, bacterial
phytases (Phyzyme XP) can replace
7.7kg dicalcium phosphate (DCP)
in broiler feed formulations an
additional 1.3kg digestible crude
protein compared with traditional
fungal phytases.
To help poultry producers further
maximise value from using phytase,
Danisco, together with its research
partners, carried out research in-

Doubling the use of phytase equates to a feed cost saving of 14/t due to better use of nutrients.

Using phytase lowers the

need for feed phosphates
vestigating the effects of increasing
phytase dose beyond the standard
inclusion rate of 500 FTU/kg feed
to allow broiler producers to replace
more inorganic phosphate in the
feed.
Ten broiler trials conducted in
universities and research institutes in
various parts of the world examined
the effect of increasing dose from
500 FTU/kg feed to 1000 FTU/kg
feed on nutrient digestibility, bodyweight gain, feed conversion and
tibia ash. Increasing levels of phytase
were added to broiler diets reduced
in calcium and phosphorus and the
effects on nutrient digestibility and
bird performance were assessed.

Project at a glance
Timescale: 2003-present
Who conducted it: Jason Sands and colleagues based at Danisco Animal
Nutrition, in collaboration with Purdue University, USA; University of
Arkansas, USA; Massey University, New Zealand; University of Sao Paulo,
Brazil; ADAS, UK; Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway; Roslin
Nutrition, UK and Lakeside Research Centre, Canada.
Funder: Danisco Animal Nutrition
The problem: As the demand for phosphate fertilisers continues to rise
to meet increases in global crop production to feed developing nations
and produce bioethanol, poultry nutritionists and producers face the
twin challenges of sourcing sufficient quantities of feed phosphates and
dealing with their escalating price
poultryworld november 2008

Results clearly showed that doubling the dose of phytase in broiler

feed (500 to 1000 FTU/kg feed) allowed at least an additional 1.9kg
DCP to be removed from the formulation, without negatively affecting bird performance. In addition
to allowing the replacement of inorganic phosphate, bacterial phytase
also reduced the negative effects of
phytate as an anti-nutrient in the
diet, thereby increasing amino acid
and energy availability to the bird.
Traditionally 500 FTU/kg feed
tended to be the standard phytase
inclusion rate in broiler diets. However, with current DCP prices at
about 700/t the economic optimum for phytase inclusion is currently around 1000 FTU/kg feed.
And this inclusion rate will currently reduce broiler feed costs by
more than 6/t, resulting in an additional feed cost saving of about 1/t
compared to the standard inclusion
rate of 500 FTU/kg feed.
To fully embrace the greater
potential of this new-generation
phytase, poultry producers can not
only make greater reductions in dietary inorganic phosphorus in their
diets, but also consider reaping the
benefits of energy and amino acid
reductions in the diet, due to the

Key findings
z Doubling the dose of bacterial
phytase versus traditional levels
(from 500 to 1000 FTU/kg feed)
can reduce inorganic phosphate
use by well over 50% compared
to diets without phytase
z Doubling the dose of bacterial
phytase can reduce broiler feed
costs by more than 6/t of feed
when phosphorus and calcium
benefits are considered, at
current feed prices
z Including the energy and
amino acid benefits from
bacterial phytase can increase
net feed cost savings by a
further 8/t of feed, at current
feed prices
products effects on phytate as an
anti-nutrient. At current high grain,
fat and protein meal prices these
benefits can potentially be worth an
extra 8-9/t of broiler feed.
Jason Sands is a regional technical
services manager with Danisco Animal
Nutrition. His PhD research at Purdue
University, USA, focused on the modeof-action and use of phytase in both
poultry and pigs.