Nutritive Value

Nature has blessed the human and animal beings with great food diversity in terms of cereal grains to maintain their health status. Among the cereal grains, wheat, rice and maize (Zea mays) are the major ones that are considered as stable food across the globe due to their high nutritional significance enriched with abundant amount of macronutrients like starch, fibre, protein and fat along with micronutrients like B-complex vitamins, ß-carotene and essential minerals, i.e. magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, copper, etc. Maize is also considered as low-cost-high-benefit ratio for human beings that help in the prevention of metabolic syndrome due to the presence of different antioxidants like phenols and phytosterols in it. Maize or corn can be consumed only after processing into different food items such as popcorn, flour, tortillas, cornflakes, corn germ oil, etc. Maize products are also used in supplementary nutritional programmes to feed the malnourished children and to improve their health status. However, the quality of maize products depends upon the agronomic practices and climatic conditions

A note on the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of contrasting stover components of maize grown in climatically marginal conditions and harvested at differing maturities.

peer-reviewedThis study evaluated the nutritive value of three contrasting components of maize stover (leaf, upper stem, lower stem) at three harvest dates. The leaf component had a greater in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) and a lower NDF concentration, compared to the stem components. Delaying harvest reduced the in vitro DMD of the stem components to a greater extent than leaf, reflecting lower increases in the NDF and lignin concentrations in leaf tissue. The stem components of maize stover had a lower nutritive value than the leaf component, and had a larger decrease in digestibility with delayed harvest.Funding for this study was provided under the National Development Plan through the Research Stimulus fund administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (RSF 07 501

Herbs in grasslands - effect of slurry and grazing/cutting on species composition and nutritive value

Herbs are established in many organic grasslands due to their expected beneficial properties for nutritive value and biodiversity. However, knowledge about grassland herbs is limited. Three mixtures were therefore established at different grazing/cutting management and slurry applications. The competitiveness of the species varied greatly. Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) competed best under cutting; in contrast, chicory (Cichorium intybus) competed best under grazing. Caraway (Carum carvi), burnet (Poterium sanguisorba) and lotus (Lotus corniculatus) had a relative low competitiveness. Slurry application did not affect the proportion of non-leguminous herbs. The nutritive value differed: caraway had the highest and plantain the lowest values, as judged by in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and content of NDF, ADF and ADL. Under cutting, the annual dry matter yields of the three mixtures were similar

Plant breeding and the nutritive value of crop residues. Proceedings of a workshop

Presents papers dealing with the use of crop residues as livestock feed in smallholder crop/livestock farming systems, and the role of plant breeding in maintaining or improving their nutritive value. Discusses factors limiting the nutritive value of crop residues, and the effect of genotype and environment on the nutritive value of crop residues. Outlines perspectives and implications for crop improvement programmes. Includes recommendations

Comparison of herbage yield, nutritive value and ensilability traits of three ryegrass species evaluated for the Irish Recommended List

peer-reviewedThis study examined 169 of the newest varieties of three ryegrass species, perennial (Lolium perenne L.), Italian (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and hybrid (Lolium boucheanum Kunth), from Recommended List trials in Ireland. The traits examined were yield, dry matter concentration, three nutritive value traits (in vitro dry matter digestibility, water-soluble carbohydrate on a dry matter basis and crude protein concentration) and two ensilability traits (buffering capacity and water soluble carbohydrate concentration on an aqueous phase basis). Varietal monocultures of each species underwent a six cut combined simulated grazing and silage management in each of two years following sowing. Perennial ryegrass yielded less than both other species in one-year-old swards, but less than only Italian ryegrass in two-year-old swards, but generally had the higher in vitro dry matter digestibility and crude protein values. Italian ryegrass displayed the most favourable ensilability characteristics of the three species with perennial ryegrass less favourable and hybrid ryegrass intermediate. Overall, despite the high yields and favourable nutritive value and ensilability traits recorded, the general differences between the three ryegrass species studied were in line with industry expectations. These findings justify assessing the nutritive value and ensilability of ryegrass species, in addition to yield, to allow farmers select species that match farming enterprise requirements.We acknowledge the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for funding provided through the Research Stimulus Fund (07 526

Annual and seasonal changes in production and composition of grazed clover-grass mixtures in organic farming

A grazed field experiment based on a randomised block design was conducted in Eastern Finland to evaluate the potential of alsike clover (Trifoliun hybridum L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to support herbage production from clover-grass mixtures under organic farming practices. The effect of seed mixture (alsike clover, red clover, white clover, white and alsike clover or grass mixture), year (1996, 1997 and 1998) and grazing period (5 per grazing season) on pre- and post-grazing herbage mass (HM), botanical and chemical composition of pregrazing HM and post-grazing sward height was assessed. The nutritive value of herbage for milk production was also considered. Seed mixtures resulted in different pre-grazing HM and post-grazing sward heights, but similar pre- minus post-grazing HM. Compared with other mixtures, the proportion of clover was higher for white clover based mixtures. The white clover mixture had the highest crude protein content and lowest concentrations of cellulose and hemicellulose. In addition to seed mixture, the effect of year and grazing period on measured parameters was significant, highlighting the importance of grazing management. Moderate pasture herbage production of relative high nutritive value was achieved under organic practices, but the supply and nutritive value of herbage was variable and, in some cases, unable to meet the requirements of lactating dairy cows. The proportion of clover in all seed mixtures decreased year on year, and was subject to seasonal variations that altered the nutritional value of herbage. White clover was the most suitable perennial clover for pastures in Eastern Finland

Nutritive value of improved populations Brachiaria ruziziensis.

A low number of Brachiaria ruziziensis (Syn. Urochloa) cultivars available on the market and a lack of information about its forage potential have made it difficult to expand its cultivated area, and have therefore made it necessary to implement a breeding program for this species. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritional value of ten improved populations of Brachiaria ruziziensis (Syn. Urochloa) and two controls (B. ruziziensis cv. Kennedy and B. brizantha cv. Marandu). The experimental design was a randomized block design with three replications in five sections. The data were submitted to analysis of variance in the subdivided plot in which the primary factors were the populations and the secondary cuts. The Tukey test was used at 5% of significance for the comparison of means. The genotypes used came from the third recurrent selection cycle of Embrapa dairy cattle, originating from the interbreeding of clones which had been identified as superior. The height of the cuts was 10 cm in relation to the ground. The material was cut and weighed in the field to obtain the sample weights to determine the nutritional forage value. After drying, the samples were ground in 1 mm sieves for chemical analyzes and in vitro digestibility. The best CP, ADF and NDF levels observed in IV populations (lower levels of ADF and NDF at 93 days of cut interval and lower NDF contents at 35 and 41 days of cut interval), population VI (higher CP content in the interval of 93 days, lower DM content at 64 and 93 days of cut interval, and lower NDF content at 35 and 64 days of cut interval) showed that these populations can be evaluated under grazing even at an advanced maturation stage. The objective of these selections was to evaluate the nutritional value of improved populations of Brachiaria ruziziensis (Syn. Urochloa) in order to obtain more homogeneous populations for implantation of grazing experiments

Improvement in the nutritive quality of soyabean meal by co-ensiling with under-utilized fish discards

Improvement in the nutritive value of soybean meal was investigated by Co-ensiling it with underutilized trash fish discards (gizzard shad)at different proportions. The following proportions of gizzard shad to soybean meal were used; (a) 100% gizzard shad + acid combination (b)80% gizzard shad +20% soybean meal & 10% WB (c) 60% gizzard shad + 40% soybean meal & 10% WB (d) 100% gizzard shad without acid combination. Co-ensiling was achieved by adding sufficient acid to produce a paste. Products were neutralized by addition of 2% (by weight) calcium hydroxide and drying was affected by freeze-drying.The dried silage products were stored at low temperatures. Products were analysed for proximate composition and amino acid composition.The amino acid composition and ration of essential amino acid. Non essential amino acid (EAA/NEAA) was used as index of nutritive quality. Also essential amino acid profile of the co-ensiled products were compared with essential amino acid requirement of some warmwater fish species to estimate their nutritive usefulness for these specie