L-threonine in Agriculture

L-Threonine is mainly used in animal feed and fertilizer in the agricultural sector. Below are some key application examples:  

Ⅰ.Application as a Feed Additive  

1. Enhancing Swine Production Performance  

L-Threonine is one of the essential limiting amino acids in swine nutrition. Studies have shown that appropriate supplementation in low-protein diets can improve daily weight gain and feed conversion efficiency while enhancing pork quality, increasing lean meat percentage, and reducing fat deposition. For instance, adding 0.1% - 0.2% L-Threonine to piglet diets can increase growth rate by 10% - 15% and reduce the feed-to-meat ratio by 8% - 12%.  

2. Improving Poultry Growth and Immunity  

Adding L-Threonine to poultry feed has significant benefits. In broilers, it promotes growth, enhances breast muscle development, strengthens immune function, and lowers mortality rates. For laying hens, appropriate supplementation can improve egg production rate, egg weight, and eggshell quality. Experiments have shown that adding 0.05% - 0.1% L-Threonine to laying hen diets can increase egg production rate by 5% - 8% and egg weight by 3% - 5%.  

3. Promoting Growth in Aquatic Animals  

L-Threonine plays an essential role in the growth and development of fish, shrimp, and other aquatic species. It helps improve feed intake, growth rate, and feed utilization efficiency, while also enhancing stress resistance and disease immunity. For example, precise supplementation in shrimp feed can increase growth rate by 15% - 20% and survival rate by 10% - 15%.  

Ⅱ.Application as a Fertilizer Additive  

1. Promoting Seed Germination  

L-Threonine can aid in seed germination by providing energy for the process. For example, when corn seeds are soaked in an L-Threonine-containing solution before sowing, it enhances germination. Aspartic acid, which is abundant in seeds, can be converted into oxaloacetate and further generate ATP under enzymatic action. L-Threonine participates in aspartic acid metabolism, providing nitrogen and other essential compounds, thereby increasing germination rate and vigor.  

2. Enhancing Crop Stress Resistance  

In wheat farming, when facing adverse conditions such as drought or low temperatures, applying L-Threonine-containing fertilizers to the soil can help the plants utilize excess nitrogen by converting it into aspartic acid, which participates in various physiological processes. This contributes to maintaining the physiological balance of plants, improving drought resistance, cold tolerance, and overall stress resistance.  

3. Increasing Crop Yield  

In vegetable cultivation, such as tomatoes, fertilizers containing L-Threonine contribute to protein synthesis and can be converted into polyaspartic acid and other beneficial compounds. These substances enhance the absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace elements, thereby improving fertilizer efficiency. As a result, tomato yield and quality are enhanced, producing larger, fuller fruits with increased vitamin C content and other essential nutrients.