The use of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) in the prediction of chemical composition and in vitro neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility of Italian alfalfa hay.

The objective of the present work was to develop calibration equations for the prediction of chemical composition and forage digestibility from different populations of alfalfa hay harvested in Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese production area of Northern Italy. Due to annual climatic variations that affect soil and growing conditions and consequently cause high variability in chemical and physical composition, 319 hay samples from four years were used to build robust calibration. NIRS calibration equations were developed for the prediction of in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFd) and 20 chemical parameters (dry matter, starch, fat, sugar, fiber fractions, crude protein, nitrogen fractions and some minerals) of Italian hay. The results obtained show that NIRS equations greatly explain the variation in the composition existing in alfalfa hays grown in Northern Italy, except for a few parameters characterized by low variability range value. The equations obtained for the prediction of biological and chemical parameters explain the major part of the variation existing in the reference data, which open great prospects for the use of NIRS in planning feeding strategies of livestock, based on alfalfa forage

Effetti di un lisato vegetale nell\u2019alimentazione del suinetto

Nell'esperimento descritto sono stati valutati gli effetti di un lisato vegetale sulle performance di crescita e sulle cariche microbiche intestinali in suinetti da 7,79 a 36,47 kg di peso. Il lisato vegetale ha migliorato significativamente sia la conversione alimentare sia il rapporto tra componenti microbiche intestinali

Influenza del momento produttivo sulla digeribilit\ue0 degli alimenti nelle scrofe

Sono descritti gli effetti del momento produttivo, rilevati in scrofe e scrofette, sulla digeribilit\ue0 dei nutrienti, determinata in vivo

Impiego di salinomicina in suini in accrescimento

Sono stati studiati gli effetti dell'impiego dell'auxinico Salinomicina su suini seguiti dallo svezzamento ai 6 mesi di età

Valutazione della qualit\ue0 di alcuni suini ibridi pesanti commerciali

Vengono riportati i dati ricavati dall'analisi delle carni e di alcuni parametri ematici condotte su otto tipi genetici di suino pesante

Elevate quantità di insilati nell’alimentazione del suino pesante: effetti sulle performance di accrescimento e di macellazione

I risultati delle ricerche, condotte su suini Duroc x (Large White x Landrace) dai 34 ai 140-145 kg di peso vivo, hanno evidenziato che l'appetibilità delle diete per suini in accrescimento-ingrasso non viene modificata da percentuali particolarmente elevate di insilati (50% della s.s. della dieta), in special modo se viene rispettato un adeguato periodo di adattamento

Effects of harvest time on the yield and quality of winter wheat hay produced in Northern Italy

The aim of this work was to study the yield and nutritional characteristics of winter wheat hay. A selection of cultivars recommended for three main purposes: grain, whole plant (biomass) and dual purpose (grain and biomass) production were cultivated and harvested from heading to grain dough stages. Yield dry weight (YDW), dry matter (DM) and undigested neutral detergent fiber (uNDF) increased with advancing maturity, ranging from 9 t ha-1, 20 and 11% of DM to 16 t ha-1, 43 and 17% of DM, respectively; while crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) decreased from 11 and 59% of DM to 6 and 54% of DM, respectively. Our study showed that dual purpose winter wheat cultivars displayed similar performance of CP, NDF and net energy for lactation, when harvested at heading or grain milk stages. In addition, winter wheat recommended to be harvested as whole plant showed similar values of YDW, sugar and starch contents, when harvested at grain dough and milk stages. These characteristics are strategic in hay production, allowing a more flexible harvesting strategy. These results might be useful to improve the hay production, given useful information on harvest time and improving agricultural sustainability covering the soil in autumn and winter

Lean colour of green and matured Parma hams: comparative evaluation and technological relevance of sensory and objective data

Research has been conducted on the relationship between sensory evaluation and objective measurement of pork colour. The study also investigated the relationship between the colour of fresh meat and the colour of matured hams. Sensory evaluation was carried out at 24 h post mortem on the freshly cut surfaces of green hams trimmedfor Parma ham production. Objective measurements were performed at the same time on Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles with a Minolta Chromameter Reflectance II CR200/08. Cold carcass weight, lean content, trimmed ham weight, 45 min and 24 h post mortem pH of Semimembranosus muscle were also recorded. The hams were processed according to Parma ham technology. Weight losses at standard processing times were collected. At the end of processing a sample of about one-third of the hams was evaluated for internal lean colour and lean firmness both by sensory panel and objective measurements. Proximate composition was also determined. The results showed highly significant relationships between colour sensory scores and the coordinates L*, b* and hue of the C.I.E. L*a*b* coiour system. Among the other parameters measured on fresh meat only 24 h pH was related at a very signt$cant level with sensory and objective colour values. Correlation coeficients were generally higher jor Semimembranosus than Biceps femoris. Matured ham colour was linked with fresh meat sensory judgements, L*, hue and a* values. The relationship, though, was not suficiently strong for use in predicting the colour of matured hams from green ham characteristics. Processing appears to have a positive effect on the colour of pale meat. Weight losses were mainly linked with lean meat content; other quality attributes being less important. Lean firmness of matured hams was related to the colour and pH of the fresh meat

Lean colour of green and matured Parma hams: comparative evaluation and technological relevance of sensory and objective data

Research has been conducted on the relationship between sensory evaluation and objective measurement of pork colour. The study also investigated the relationship between the colour of fresh meat and the colour of matured hams. Sensory evaluation was carried out at 24 h post mortem on the freshly cut surfaces of green hams trimmed for Parma ham production. Objective measurements were performed at the same time on Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris muscles with a Minolta Chromameter Reflectance II CR200/08. Cold carcass weight, lean content, trimmed ham weight, 45 min and 24 h post mortem pH of Semimembranosus muscle were also recorded. The hams were processed according to Parma ham technology. Weight losses at standard processing times were collected. At the end of processing a sample of about one-third of the hams was evaluated for internal lean colour and lean firmness both by sensory panel and objective measurements. Proximate composition was also determined. The results showed highly significant relationships between colour sensory scores and the coordinates L*, b* and hue of the C.I.E. L*a*b* coiour system. Among the other parameters measured on fresh meat only 24 h pH was related at a very significant level with sensory and objective colour values. Correlation coefficients were generally higher for Semimembranosus than Biceps femoris. Matured ham colour was linked with fresh meat sensory judgments, L*, hue and a* values. The relationship, though, was not sufficiently strong for use in predicting the colour of matured hams from green ham characteristics. Processing appears to have a positive effect on the colour of pale meat. Weight losses were mainly linked with lean meat content; other quality attributes being less important. Lean firmness of matured hams was related to the colour and pH of the fresh meat