Scientists have figured out how to increase the iodine content in cow's milk and meat

Today, large areas of northern RUSSIA from the point of view of the livestock industry are characterized by relatively low iodine content in soils, which are mainly used as pastures. Moreover, iodine is of great importance for animals and humans; a deficiency in the latter, in particular, can lead to severe diseases of the thyroid gland, disturbances in the functioning of the brain and gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and reproductive systems.

“We have developed a method for increasing the iodine content in forage plants that are actively grown in North-West Russia: oats, vetch (peas) and clover. During the experiments, we managed to achieve a 5-9 times increase in iodine concentration for different crops,” Polina Filippova, a junior researcher at the Department of Land Use and Plant Production of the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Gazeta.Ru.

First, scientists identified several areas for cultivating fodder crops, and treated the plants with iodine solutions of varying concentrations. The solution contains water and a small concentration of salts containing iodine (no more than 16 g per 10 liters of water, working solution consumption 300 l/ha).

The researchers then harvested the crops and assessed the optimal iodine concentration, as well as the duration of treatment of the crops. it turned out that with the correct composition of the solution, the treatment made it possible to increase the iodine concentration by 5-9 times compared to the control option. If farm animals are fed these plants, the iodine levels in their MEAT and MILK will increase .

“Our approach can easily be used by agro-industrial enterprises or farmers in the North-West and other areas of the country with similar climate and soils; it does not require complex equipment, but can significantly increase the productivity of forage crops. The main task here is to use a solution with the required iodine concentration, based on our recommendations, since excess can be toxic to plants,” Filippova explained.

Now scientists from the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences are working on a method for increasing the concentration of iodine in annual grasses. In addition, in the future they plan to increase the selenium content of spring barley.