Oskar Kellner Institute

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The Oskar-Kellner-Institut was an agricultural research institution founded in 1953, which was incorporated into the Research Center for Animal Production Dummerstorf - Rostock in 1970, today's Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology .

history

The Oskar Kellner Institute has its roots in the 1st German Agricultural Research Station, which was founded in Leipzig-Möckern in 1852 . From 1892 to 1911 Oskar Kellner was head of this research station. Here Kellner worked out and developed the starch value system, a widespread feed evaluation system based on net energy. After the Second World War , animal nutrition research in Leipzig-Möckern became an independent research unit, alongside other agricultural facilities that emerged from the experimental station or were added by relocation. In the meantime, research in the field of animal nutrition has become increasingly important at the Agricultural Research Station in Rostock, under the direction of Kurt Nehring .

founding

In 1953 the Oskar Kellner Institute (OKI) was founded as a research facility of the “ German Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Berlin ” (DAL), later the “Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the GDR” (AdL). Kurt Nehring was appointed director of this new institute. It was divided into the institute parts Leipzig with the head L. Sperling and Rostock (head Reinhard Schiemann ).

The Rostock part of the institute was initially temporarily housed in the Institute for Agricultural Experiments and Investigations. At the beginning of the 1950s, respiratory equipment for rats and rabbits, animal testing capacities for determining the biological value of protein feed with the help of albino rats and analytical capacities for the paper chromatographic determination of amino acids were installed in the so-called "Red Villa" , part of the experimental station. Because of the inadequate opportunities for animal experiments, especially with farm animals, Nehring applied to the DAL Academy in Berlin to build a new institute for animal nutrition in Rostock.

New institute in Rostock

The foundation stone for the new building of the Oskar Kellner Institute for Animal Nutrition in Rostock was laid in 1954. The main reasons for the choice of location were insufficient space for an extension at the old Leipzig location and the proximity to the Institute for Animal Breeding Research in Dummerstorf near Rostock as the basis for close cooperation the research areas of animal nutrition with animal production and breeding.

In 1956, work began in the “main building” of the new institute. In the 3-storey building, various laboratories offered excellent conditions for feed analyzes and for investigations into protein quality using biological, chemical and microbiological methods. The "respiration building" was completed in 1957. The building, which was also 3-storey, was equipped with 10 respiratory systems for farm animals in the middle of the raised ground floor. There were stables on both gable ends; on the one hand for 16 cattle with facilities for digestion experiments and urine collection and on the other hand the same facilities for 10 pigs and 10 sheep each. In addition to the respiration chambers, the respiratory pumps were located in a separate room and the laboratories for the collection and analysis of the respiratory gases were located above the chambers and pumps .

The so-called "isotope building" was a smaller building with 2 floors. The upper floor was set up for the use of isotopes, especially in protein metabolism research. On the ground floor, rooms were initially planned for surgical interventions on animals (placing fistulas, catheters, anastomoses, etc.). However, this work could partly be relocated to the veterinary clinic, which was built in the immediate vicinity, so that the rooms were used for other purposes (laboratory and work rooms, library). The "farm building" was completed in 1960. It had only one ground floor with facilities for studies on feed conservation and for feeding and digestion experiments. A well-equipped workshop was also located in this building.

Structural organization of the OKI 1958–1970

With the extensive completion of the 4-building complex in 1958, the OKI was restructured. This went hand in hand with the dissolution of the previously largely independent part of the institute in Leipzig and its continuation as a branch office. The institute now consisted of the following departments:

  • Department of Nutritional Physiology: Head: K. Nehring until 1963, then H.-D. Bock, with 7 scientific employees. The working groups amino acid analysis, isotopes, fermentation feed microbiology, microbial analysis and biological value characterize the scientific work areas of the department.
  • Feed evaluation department: Head: R. Schiemann with 3 scientific employees and the working groups for large animal respiration, small animal respiration and chemical investigations.
  • Branch in Leipzig: Scientists W. Klippel and E.-R. Franke
  • Feed science department: Responsible: Brigitte Knabe
  • Feed advertising and preservation department: in charge of management: W. Laube with 3 scientific employees.
  • A special working group forage production existed from 1963 to 1968 under the direction of F. Lüddecke, based in Hohen Luckow .

1960s

In 1963, the institute received the 1000 hectare farm in Hohen Luckow, Bad Doberan district , for the processing of practical questions, including the establishment of an experimental station for field experiments on coarse forage production and a second one for feed preservation and for feeding experiments with a corresponding production base. There were prerequisites for systematically investigating factors affecting the quality of coarse forage from cultivation, cultivation and conservation with a view to assessing the forage.

In the same year the OKI became the lead institute for 5 complex topics of agricultural research in the GDR. At the turn of the year 1963/64, the founder and longstanding director of the institute, Kurt Nehring, retired . Nehring had planned Reinhard Schiemann to succeed him in the office of director. However, political reasons did not make the proposal a reality. In 1964 the OKI received a scientific council as a governing body, with Walter Laube as the commissioned director, who was finally appointed director of the OKI and in 1965 professor of the academy.

OKI and Research Center for Animal Production

In 1970, the research center for animal production Dummerstorf-Rostock was founded from 3 independent academy institutes. The OKI now represented an area of ​​the research center, it kept the name "Oskar Kellner" and in connection with the reorganization there was a further change in the department structure of the area. In 1972, Laube was appointed director of animal production research at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Berlin. The management function of the area was filled on a provisional basis; the actual scientific management was in the hands of the department heads. In 1980 Laube came back to Rostock and took over the management of the area again. After his retirement due to a long illness with disability, U. Herrmann was appointed division director in 1985, appointed professor in 1987.

Structure of the animal nutrition division “Oskar Kellner” 1970–1989

The departments that existed from 1970 to 1989 in the field of animal nutrition "Oskar Kellner" were divided into working groups (AG).

Department of Protein Metabolism Research

emerged from the department of nutritional physiology, counted 32 employees with the scientists: H.-D. Bock (Head of Department), W.-B. Souffrant (Head of Department from 1988), J. Wünsche (Microbiology and Animal Experiments Group), U. Hennig, Marlis Meinl, Edda Borgmann, K. Krawielitzki (Isotopes Group), F. Kreienbring (Amino Acid Analysis Group), Traute Völker (Group Preparative chromatography), Ruthild Schadereit (AG Biological Value) (until 1975).

A research focus was the analysis of the amino acid composition of the feed proteins with different methods depending on the technical progress. The systematic investigations of the influences of fertilization of forage plants , preservation and processing on the protein composition resulted in amino acid tables for feeding and compound feed production. A second, animal-related focus included the topics:

  • Biological value of different feeds depending on origin and processing, determined on Wistar rats.
  • Prececal amino acid absorption using ileo-rectostomized pigs.
  • Amino acid and protein retention capacity depending on the age of the animals, body mass and sex as well as the amino acid and energy supply.
  • Turnover of protein and amino acids, determined by means of isotope tracers, as the basis for modeling these processes (multicompartment model).
  • Investigations into the protein and amino acid requirements of different monogastric animal species.

The results were published in a monograph. Both the amino acid tables including the amino acids available for protein synthesis up to the end of the small intestine and the recommendations for protein and amino acid requirements of monogastric animals were used in compound feed production and feeding of pigs and poultry. One advancement in animal nutrition has been the protein and amino acid rating based on ileal digestibility. The knowledge about the amino acid content of the feed and the needs of the animals formed objectives for plant breeding to further improve the amino acid content in cereals and rapeseed . Success in this regard was achieved through active participation in various national and international bodies.

Energy Research Department

formerly feed evaluation, counted 40 employees with the scientists R. Schiemann (Head of Department), L. Hoffmann (AG Small Animal Respiration), W. Jentsch (AG Large Animal Respiration), M. Beyer, Hildegard Wittenburg (AG Chemical Investigations), Monika Klein ( AG calorimetry), G. Henseler.

The energy research department had 3 respiratory devices for pigs and 2 with a treadmill for horses in the branch in Leipzig-Möckern, which existed until 1965. In Rostock there were initially 3 machines for rabbits and 8 for rats based on the Haldane principle . In the newly built institute, 4 respiration systems were added for cattle (Fig. 9), 4 for pigs or calves (Fig. 10) and 2 for sheep, all of which worked according to the Pettenkofer principle. Later, in our own construction, 2 large chambers for groups of farm animals were set up, completed in 1976, by the institute workshop with vacuum pumps for gas throughput and flow meters for gas volume measurement. The chambers for rabbits were converted into 6 individual chambers for poultry and supplemented by 2 for small groups of poultry. In 1967, the cattle chambers received for the measurements in lactating cows Can milking equipment . In 1980, all 12 respiratory chambers for large animals were isolated and the air conditioning for carrying out experiments at 3–35 ° C was reconstructed. The installation of the computer control of the systems and the continuous measurement of the gas exchange and recording of the data were important.

The research work of the Energy Research Department can be roughly divided into 4, but overlapping sections.

  • In the first section, the processing of the estate of Professors Kellner and Fingerling took place parallel to development work on respiration systems and gas analysis.
  • The 2nd section concerns the extensive experiments for energetic utilization of pure nutrients and feed by rats, rabbits (later chickens), pigs, sheep and cattle. There was good agreement between the utilization of the pure nutrients by monogastric animals and the calculated ATP-forming capacity of the nutrients. For the experiments with feed, a large number of concentrates (grain, roots and tubers, protein-rich concentrates) and coarse feed were used from the various feed groups. The results were used for regression analysis and the derivation of equations for energetic feed evaluation; the first results are written down in a monograph.
  • In the third section, the investigations were geared towards the energy requirements of laboratory animals and important farm animal species. The experiments were carried out with different animal categories with different performances and different production intensities of the animals. The factorial analysis of the energy requirement was the basis for the derivation of requirement norms for feeding. On the basis of the results of the feed evaluation and the requirements of the farm animals for various performances, a feed evaluation system could be developed which was to be named "Rostock feed evaluation system". However, publication was only possible as a "GDR feed evaluation system".
  • A fourth section includes studies on energy expenditure in connection with the physiology of digestion and metabolism.

As part of 3 unscheduled aspirations, the use of energy and nutrients in large farms was recorded and analyzed in sheep and milk production (Franke, 1975), bull rearing and milk production (Blischke, 1978) and the rearing of young female cattle (Gutbier, 1984), in which the normative of the energy and protein requirements in the GDR feed evaluation system are confirmed and, with consistent application of the system, significant economic advantages have been demonstrated.

Feed quality and conservation department

emerged from the two departments of feed science and feed advertising and feed preservation. The department had 67 employees. with the scientists: F. Weißbach (Head of Department), L. Schmidt, A. Block, P. Zwierz (AG Analytics), S. Kuhla, K. Berg, M. Kwella (AG Microbiology), R. Prym ( AG feed evaluation), E. Bergner, Dorit Heinz, Alice Baumung (AG routine laboratory I), Kati Hacker (AG routine laboratory II), Ehrengard Hein, B. Reuter, H. Cöster (AG experimental station Hohen Luckow), G. Peters.

  • A research focus of the department was the improvement of the Weender feed analysis. In the 1960s, this focused on the specification of the crude fiber by determining cellulose, lignin , pentosans and hemicelluloses. This program was abandoned because the substances have different metabolic and physiological significance and require complex analytical methods that cannot be used in routine laboratories for practical feed analyzes. Therefore the development of simple, practicable methods for the determination of the clearly defined substances starch and sugar followed. The ability to determine starch and sugar allowed them to be included in the equations for calculating the energetic feed value as an essential step in qualifying the feed evaluation system.
  • A second research focus related to the investigation of factors that influence ensiling ability and silage quality .
  • Third, the fermentability of the coarse feed was examined in order to derive estimates of the ensiling properties based on the dry matter and sugar content and the buffer capacity. From this, decisions and measures for the conservation of the coarse forage could be made.

The two departments of cattle nutrition and pork nutrition, formerly attached to the Institute for Animal Breeding Research in Dummerstorf, were organizationally assigned to the animal nutrition division "Oskar Kellner" when the research center was founded, but they kept their location in Dummerstorf.

Beef Nutrition Department

counted 28 employees with the scientists: B. Piatkowski (head of department), J. Voigt (AG Spezialabor), Ulrike Schönhusen, S. Nagel (AG dairy cow nutrition), KO Trautmann, P. Kauffold, Renate Keusenhoff (AG calf / Young cattle nutrition), R. Krawielitzki, Girschewski.

The department was very well equipped for rumen and digestive physiological examinations. Some research topics are listed with a brief presentation of the results:

  • Milling and / or pelleting the coarse forage had negative effects on rumen mucosa and rumen fermentation.
  • From feeding experiments with high-yielding cows, recommendations for feeding and prophylaxis of metabolic disorders could be derived.
  • Tests with calves resulted in recommendations for healthy calf rearing, optimal whole milk administration, milk treatment, and feeding frequency and technique.
  • The experiments with young cattle aimed at high coarse feed intake with positive effects on feed intake during lactation.
  • Experiments with fistulated dairy cows were aimed at studying the digestion of carbohydrates and proteins. Investigations on the duodenal passage of the protein were used to evaluate feed proteins in dairy cows. As an example for the utilization of non-protein nitrogen, there was a negative relationship between the level of feed protein intake and NPN utilization.
  • For chewing and ruminating, there was a dependency on the particle size and protein content of the roughage.

The results of the research were also published in monographs.

Pig nutrition department

counted 35 employees with the scientists: G. Bolduan (Head of Department), H. Jung (AG Piglet), Elvira Schnabel (AG Sauen), U. Kesting, Renate Schneider (AG Labor), W. Kracht (AG Schönebeck) , R. Morgenthum (AG Eberswalde).

A large part of the department's capacity was tied up in the care of large-scale systems. From this experience could be gained for the revision of the feeding and requirement standards for female breeding pigs and piglets .

  • Research topics related to the feeding of the sows were the amino acid requirement and the control of the weight development during pregnancy by administering rations with low energy concentration by adding straw meal, straw pellets or the like, with which the animals are saturated without becoming excessively fat.
  • Research on piglet feeding related to sow milk substitutes, supplementary feeding, transitional feeding at weaning, and starter feed with bran to overcome indigestion. In this context, a gastroenterological research direction was set up.
  • In pig fattening, questions such as animal density in the pens, feeding frequency, discontinuous administration of protein feed and its effect on fattening performance, compound feed production with grain legumes and the use of roughage and root crops were in the research program.
  • The digestion of the potato starch as a prerequisite for high utilization required extensive effort in animal experiments with regard to energy saving.
  • The attempts to feed coarse forage and root crops were coupled with digestive physiological examinations using large-lumen fistulas at the end of the ileum .
Feed planning department

Emerging from a working group of the Energy Research Dept. in 1973, it had 10 employees with the scientists: A. Chudy (Dept. Head), Reingard Havemann, Marianne Stamer, Christel Hoffmann.

On the basis of the detailed standards of energy and protein requirements for the feeding of farm animals derived in the Department of Energy Research, the standards for energy and protein requirements for the planning and balancing of feed requirements and feed quantities of farms and territories were developed. For this purpose, the EDP project “Planning and accounting for feed demand and feed volume” was created and supplemented by office computer programs for ration calculation based on the GDR feed evaluation system.

Protein supply department

Created in 1975, it had 19 employees with the scientists: U. Herrmann (head of department), G. Henk (head of department from 1985), Th. Heinz (research group pigs / poultry), Sabine Kesting (group rats / poultry) Broiler trials), Ruthild Schadereit (AG Biological Value), Doris Thomaneck (AG Chemical Laboratory).

Testing new protein feed was one of the main tasks of the department. These were the yeasts or bacterial biomasses from petroleum distillates, pure n-alkanes, methanol and natural gas as well as the microbially produced lysine feed concentrate. The investigations on the biological value in rats and on the digestibility of pigs and chickens also extended to rapeseed meal , krill meal and whey.

Institute workshop

For the expansion of an institute workshop, preparations have already been made in connection with the construction of the respiratory equipment for laboratory animals. The workshop had 3 employees under the direction of M. Schmidt, who had an excellent talent for building special devices and machines.

Science organization

Since the mid-1970s, the institute's management has received support from a “science organization” group headed by G. Albert.

Information and documentation

The information center for “scientific-technical information and documentation” under the direction of HH Budzier was responsible for the library of the institute, for documenting specialist literature, preparing research and obtaining literature. The takeover of the research center of the VEB Chemisch-Pharmazeutische Werke Oschersleben by the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the assignment to the field of animal nutrition “Oskar Kellner” should only be mentioned. Because there are only few points of contact with the OKI's research spectrum, this assigned research center is not presented, especially since it no longer existed after the political change.

meaning

The national and international importance of the work of the OKI can be exemplified as follows:

  • The OKI was the lead institute and coordinator of research on the problems of energy and protein nutrition in farm animals. It coordinated the research work between the OKI and the university institutes for animal nutrition in the GDR. He headed the working groups “Feed evaluation and methods of feed value measurement” and “Protein evaluation and amino acid analysis” for all Eastern European countries within the framework of the Council for Mutual Economic Aid (RGW). The subject of the international cooperation was, among other things, the standardization of feed evaluation with regard to energy and protein as well as the organization of analysis inquiries.
  • As part of the coordination activities, many colleagues from Germany and abroad were visiting scientists at the institute.

The number of employees at the institute was 46 in 1953 and increased to 240 by 1988. The results of the research and transition activities were reflected in 1684 publications, including 35 dissertations A and 10 dissertations B between 1970 and 1987. The total number of publications since the OKI was founded in 1953 increased to 2290.

Political change in 1989

It also brought significant changes to the research facility. The vast majority of academics were delighted with the political events and changes and contributed to them, albeit for different reasons. It is not possible to name even a fraction of the positive aspects, but the opportunity to participate in international conferences after 25 years of isolation and to publish in Western scientific journals was not only emotional. During the GDR era, the current exchange of information was not possible without difficulties even by post. Mrs. Grete Thorbek, Copenhagen , Denmark z. B. used every opportunity to maintain connections and provided support. The evaluation of the institute was connected with the political change . In addition, there was support from 25 institutes around the world with a similar research spectrum in the form of letters of approval in which a high level of recognition of the research performance and the request for the continued existence of the OKI were expressed. These letters showed a high level of competence in assessing the level of research at the institute, which was not always the case in the subsequent evaluation. After the research center for animal production was dissolved in 1991, it was re-established as the “ Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals ”. One of the 6 areas of the new institute is the nutritional physiology research area "Oskar Kellner". With the new establishment, rigorous demands were made to change the research spectrum and reduce the number of staff at OKI. The number of employees was reduced from 240 to 55, a decision that was very difficult to make for the director B. Piatkowski, who was in office at the time of the fall. After Piatkowski's retirement at the turn of the year 1991/92, H. Hagemeister followed as head of the nutritional physiology department “Oskar Kellner” until his retirement in 2001. Ms. Cornelia C. Metges has been the head of this facility since then.

Change of location and restructuring

An essential fact in the history of OKI was the decision to move from the Rostock location to Dummerstorf. In 2001 the laboratories moved from the main building to a newly constructed building, exclusively for use by the nutritional physiology department “Oskar Kellner”. The new laboratory building has good conditions for research work. The following were or are active as research assistants: Cornelia C. Metges: Head of the department, L. Hoffmann, until 1992, W. Jentsch, until 1994, Monika Klein, until 2000, Ruthild Schadereit, until 2000, M. Beyer, until 2001 , A. Chudy, until 2001, J. Voigt, until 2003, S. Kuhla, until 2006, W.-B. Souffrant, until 2009, U. Hennig, until 2008, Ulrike Schönhusen, P. Junghans, until 2008, M. Derno, Monika Schweigel, H. Hammon, B. Kuhla.

The respiration building in Rostock with the respiration chambers could be used by a small group until the end of 2003. After the completion of the new building for animal experiments, the rest of the group moved. In the animal pilot plant there are operating rooms, for use primarily by the reproductive biology area and facilities for feeding and metabolic experiments, partly in air-conditioned rooms, 4 respiration systems for large animals, adjustable in volume to cattle and pigs and equipped with a can milking system, as well as respiration facilities for laboratory animals. All respiration chambers can be air-conditioned from 3 to 35 ° C, all functions are computer-controlled and the gas exchange can be continuously measured. The immense job cuts made it impossible to continue using all of the experimental facilities in Rostock. The previous departmental structures could no longer exist and in particular the research on feed quality and conservation as well as feed planning came to an end. The transition from the overall animal metabolism on organ and cell level, the turn to research questions of nutritional physiology in connection with the investigation of the mechanisms of metabolic regulatory processes required the inclusion of new devices and methods. The combination of the study of partial metabolic performance with considerations of the whole organisms to increase the research effectiveness requires cooperative collaboration of different research groups.

Studies of microbial processes in the digestive tract of ruminants and monogastrids dealt with the effect of reducing the number of protozoa - protozoa -free calf rearing and feeding tannin-rich feed - on reduced methane production. The entry of microbially synthesized amino acids in the small intestine when the supply of amino acids was deficient was investigated in addition to earlier experiments on pigs with ileo-rectal anastomoses. Mechanisms of heat regulation in cattle after changes in environmental conditions - ambient temperature, nutritional level - as well as influencing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine system were examined. Another research program concerns the influence of prenatal protein supply on the postnatal development of young animals. The protein supply from soy protein compared to casein in growing pigs and preruminating goats was investigated with regard to changes in metabolic parameters. Substrate-related influence on the intestinal flora of piglets and growing pigs was aimed at overcoming digestive and developmental problems, especially in the weaning period. Parameters of the glucose metabolism of ruminants, depending on the genetic construction and the composition of the feed, formed part of a complex research program. These examples should show the changes in the research profile. The research on feed evaluation had to be stopped. Without burdening the fee fund of the research area, with financial support from DEGUSSA AG and the Association Biopark e. V., a revision of the GDR feed evaluation system. The net energy fat (NEF) measure was converted into net energy retention (NER), a measure that takes better account of the intermediate conversions compared to the deposition of feed fat. With the new specifications, the estimation equations of the feed value were recalculated and, with these, the feed tables and the tables for the energy requirements of farm animals were recalculated. The publication of the book took place under the originally intended title “Rostock feed evaluation system” in English (2003), German (2004) and Chinese (2008) language.

literature

  • Collective of authors: 50 years of animal breeding and animal production research Dummerstorf 1939–1989. Research center for animal production Dummerstorf-Rostock of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the German Democratic Republic. Publisher: Research Center for Animal Production Dummerstorf-Rostock of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences of the GDR. Typesetting and printing: Ostsee-Druck Rostock, Operating Part Putbus II-3-4.
  • W. Jentsch: 50 years of Oskar-Kellner-Institute - Research on energy and protein metabolism. In: WB Souffrant, CC Metges: Progress in research on energy and protein metabolism. (= EAAP publication No. 109, 2003 Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany, September 13-18, 2003). Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands 2003, pp. 25-39.

Web links

  • FBN Dummerstorf
  • Biography Max von Pettenkofer
  • Biography Oskar Kellner,
  • Biography Kurt Nehring,
  • Biography R. Schiemann,
  • Research institute for the biology of farm animals