DRY MATTER AND PROTEIN DEGRADABILITIES OF SOME FEED INGREDIENTS SOLD IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

A study was carried out to determine the chemical composition and evaluate the dry matter and crude protein degradabilities of some commercial feed ingredients sold in Abeokuta, Nigeria, viz corn offal, brewers dried grain, soybean meal, wheat offal, groundnut meal and maize meal. The feed samples as obtained from different sources were incubated in triplicates for 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 hours in 3 rumen-fistulated goats. The incubation was used to estimate the in sacco dry matter (DM) and N degradation characteristics. The dry matter contents of the feedstuffs ranged from 799.3 – 956.0 g/kg. All the feedstuffs recorded low crude protein contents and high washing loss at 0 hour. They recorded more than 70% dry matter degradability at 48 hours, which implied that they were all highly degradable in the rumen. Feeding these feedstuffs in large quantities terminants may lead to diarrhea and bloat due to the accumulation of methane and ammonia gases in the rumen. However, their incorporation into high fibre diets may be advantageous in supplying rumen degradable nutrients to complement the undegradable dietary nutrients from fibrous feeds.Â

EVALUATION OF THE AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND NUTRITIVE VALUES OF TEPHROSIA BRACTEOLATA GUILL. & PERR. AND GMELINA ARBOREA ROXB PRUNNINGS AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF GROWTH

This study was carried out to investigate the growth, dry matter yield and chemical composition of Tephrosia bracteolata and Gmelina arborea at Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different stages of growth of T. bracteolata and G. arborea on their agronomic performance, herbage yield and nutritive value in the humid zone of Nigeria. Data were collected at 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks after planting (WAP). Results showed that T. bracteolata attained the height of 161 cm at 20 WAP, though not significantly different from the height at 16 WAP. The leaf number (24), branch number (7) and dry matter yield of T. bracteolata were recorded highest at 16 WAP. The height of G. arborea was on constant increase throughout the experimental period. The crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) contents of the two browse plants were highest at 8 WAP and thereafter, declined throughout the experimental period. Fibre fractions, the neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) had a least value for both browse species at 8 WAP and highest values at 20 WAP. From the study, considering the dry matter yield and nutritive value, T. bracteolata being an annual species, can be harvested at 16 WAP when the quality and quantity will support livestock productivity and can be conserved to be fed to ruminant animals during dry season when feed availability and quality are extremely low. However, planting of G. arborea should be encouraged being a perennial browse plant that will support livestock productivity during the dry season in the tropics. In conclusion, T. bracteolata and G. arborea grow rapidly and are recommended as forage of high nutritive values that meet ruminant animal protein requirements especially during the dry season

Effects of growth habits of grasses on weed popu- lation and dry matter yield in grass-legume swards

A study was carried out over a period of two years to evaluate the ability of 12 grass-legume mixtures to compete with weeds over a 12-week period following planting in 2004 and after cutback in 2005. Plant height, leaf number, weed population and dry matter (DM) yields of weeds and grasses at 6 and 12 weeks after planting were recorded. Leaf number of the grasses increased slowly during the first 8 weeks after planting, then increased exponentially between 9 and 12 weeks, reaching 145 leaves/plant. The bunch-forming grasses had more (p<0.05) leaves than the Brachiaria species. In the second year, leaf number reached 329 leaves/plant. Weed populations were prominent during the first 8 weeks after planting, with broadleaf weeds the most common in both 2004 and 2005. Mixtures containing B. ruziziensis recorded the greatest (p<0.05) weed populations, and swards of B. ruziziensis-T. bracteolata consistently recorded the least (p<0.05) DM yields of 281 and 326 kg/ha at 12 weeks after planting in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Sward mixtures containing Penni- setum purpureum and Andropogon tectorum consistently had the greatest (p<0.05) yields (1100-2000 and 1500-2200 kg/ha in 2004 and 2005). The population of weeds in the 2 years declined with increase in growing period.Durante un período de dos años, se evaluó la capacidad de 12 mezclas de gramíneas y legumi- nosas pratenses tropicales para competir con las adventicias durante 12 semanas después de la plantación en 2004 y después de un corte en 2005. Se registraron la altura de planta, número de hojas, la población de adventicias y la producción de materia seca (MS) de las adveenticias y mezclas de pastos en las semanas 6 y 12 después de la siembra. El número de hojas de las gramíneas pratenses aumentó lentamente durante las prime- ras 8 semanas después de la siembra, luego aumentó exponencialmente entre las 9 y 12 sema- nas, llegando a 145 hojas/planta. Las gramíneas de crecimiento erecto forman más hojas (p<0.05) que las especies de Brachiaria. En el segundo año, el número de hojas alcanzó 329 hojas/planta. Las poblaciones de adventicias fueron superio- res durante las primeras 8 semanas después de la siembra, siendo las de hoja ancha las más comunes en los años 2004 y 2005. Las mezclas con B. ruziziensis registraron la mayor (p<0.05) población de adventicias, y la mezcla de B. ruziziensis-T. bracteolata registró el menor (p<0.05) rendimiento de MS con 281 y 326 kg/ha a las 12 semanas después de la plantación en 2004 y 2005, respectivamente. Mezclas que con- tengan Pennisetum purpureum y Andropogon tectorum siempre alcanzaron mayores (p<0.05) rendimientos a las 12 semanas (1100-2000 y 1500-2200 kg MS/ha en 2004 y 2005). La pobla- ción de adventicias en los 2 años disminuyó durante el crecimiento

Nutritive value and methane production potential of energy and protein rich feed stuffs fed to livestock in India

Four protein-rich (groundnut cake-GNC, mustard seed cake-MSC, cotton seed cake-CSC and coconut cake-CNC) and 8 energy-rich (wheat grain-WG, barley grain-BG, oat grain-OG, maize grain-MG, wheat bran A-WBA, wheat bran B-WBB, rice bran-RB, chickpea husk/chuni-GC) feedstuffs were evaluated for their carbohydrate and protein fractions, in vitro dry matter degradability, in vitro methane production and energy loss as methane. Crude protein (CP) and ether extract contents were higher in protein-rich feedstuffs than in energy feedstuffs. High lignin content was noted in CSC, GNC, MSC and RB. Degradable CP fractions of total CP ranged from 0.61 to 0.97 and were higher for protein-rich than energy-rich feedstuffs. On an average, protein-rich feedstuffs had more undegradable CP fraction than the grains or brans. Starch content was highest (P<0.001) in WBB and least in CSC with values of 369 and 37.3 g/kg DM, respectively. Rapidly degradable carbohydrate fraction (CA) was highest in WG, OG, MG (all energy-rich feedstuffs) and least in RB (6.7 g/kg DM). Similar to the observation made in the protein fractions, protein-rich feedstuffs had more unavailable CHO. Feedstuffs energy loss as methane was highest (P<0.001) from GC (1.90 Mj/kg DM) and least from MG (1.19 Mj/kg DM). Methane production of the feedstuffs could be predicted from the chemical composition, CP and CHO fractions. On an average, chemical composition and protein fractions were better predictors of CH4 production versus CHO fractions with mean R-2 values of 0.94 and 0.80, respectively. Data on relative methane emission from energy and protein rich feeds could be utilized to prepare diets that will lead to less methane production from ruminants