Feed scarcity is a major challenge in smallholder production systems especially during the dry season. Sweet potato vines (SPV) contribute over 40% of the crop residues fed to dairy cattle but they are highly perishab...Feed scarcity is a major challenge in smallholder production systems especially during the dry season. Sweet potato vines (SPV) contribute over 40% of the crop residues fed to dairy cattle but they are highly perishable resulting into losses of about 24% per season. Ensiling SPV mitigates seasonal feed shortages and assists in coping with seasonal feed price fluctuations. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sweet potato vines silage (SPVS) supplementation on the performance of lactating Ankole × Friesian crossbred dairy cattle. Four primiparous cows in early lactation were randomly allotted a basal diet of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay supplemented with dairy pellets and four graded levels of SPVS (0, 100, 200 and 300 g/kg of the daily ration) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The animals were given a one-week adaptation period followed by a two weeks data collection period for each diet. Dry matter intake (DMI), live weight changes, milk yield and composition were determined. Dry matter intake improved with addition of SPVS (P ≤ 0.05), with intake being highest (11.9 kg) in cows that were fed the highest SPVS level and lowest in cows that were not given SPVS (6.8 kg). Although animals on diets with 0, 100, 200 g of SPVS/kg of daily ration lost weight, there were no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in body weight changes across all treatments. Milk yield increased with SPVS supplementation by 1.5 - 1.7 kg per cow per day but there were no significant differences between the different SPVS supplementation levels. Milk fat and solids-non-fat differed (P ≤ 0.05) across the four diets but there was no consistent trend observed. Considering profit margins, supplementing dairy cows with SPVS at a level of 100 g/kg of daily ration was the most profitable at Uganda shillings 1290 (0.344 USD) per cow per day. In conclusion, SPVS supplementation improved DMI and milk yield but supplementation beyond 100 g/kg of the daily feed intake was not cost-effective.展开更多
Poor nutrition has been identified as a major constraint to productivity in smallholder dairy farming households in Uganda, particularly in Lake Victoria Crescent Agroecological Zone (LVZ). Clarification on nutritiona...Poor nutrition has been identified as a major constraint to productivity in smallholder dairy farming households in Uganda, particularly in Lake Victoria Crescent Agroecological Zone (LVZ). Clarification on nutritional potential of crop residues is central to formulation of sustainable dairy cattle nutrition strategies. Data were collected from 126 randomly selected respondents using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Farmers’ responses on crop residues utilization, handling, limitations, spatial and temporal variability were collected. Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences on utilization of available crop residues (X2 = 50.4, df = 4, p = 0.0001) among farmer’s rankings. It was established that maize stovers were major crop residues utilized and inadequate knowledge to process crop residues was ranked as a major limitation. The study provided basic information on the importance of crop residues. Further research studies should focus on improving the nutritive value of maize stover.展开更多
The greatest limitation to utilization of maize stover by ruminants as a feed is the high concentration of lignin, which limits fibre digestibility. However, ruminants can effectively utilize maize stover if its nutri...The greatest limitation to utilization of maize stover by ruminants as a feed is the high concentration of lignin, which limits fibre digestibility. However, ruminants can effectively utilize maize stover if its nutritive value is improved using white rot fungal species. This study was designed to determine optimal biophysical conditions for mycelial growth and select the most ideal fungal species and pre-treatment options for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Four popular edible Pleurotus fungal species(viz.Pleurotus florida,Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor caju and Pleurotus pulmonarius) were subjected to varying temperatures, pH levels, hydrogen peroxide(H_2 O_2) concentration and illumination to establish the extent of mycelial growth rate.Inclusion of H_2 O_2 was used to determine optimal levels for preservation and prevention of contamination from other indigenous microbiota. Effects of pre-treatment options on chemical composition and nutritive value of maize stover were also examined. Mycelial growth rate of Pleurotus species on potato dextrose agar(PDA) varied(P < 0.05) with temperature, pH level and H_2 O_2 concentration following a quadratic trend. Optimal temperature, pH and H_2 O_2 concentration for mycelial growth on PDA were 25 ℃,5 and 0.01 mL/L, respectively. Under the different bio-physical conditions,P. sajor caju had the highest mycelia density and growth rate. Chemical composition of solid-state fermented maize stover differed(P < 0.05) among the Pleurotus species. Maize stover fermented with P. sajor caju had the highest crude protein(CP) of 86.6 g/kg DM, in-vitro dry matter digestibility(IVDMD) of 731 g/kg DM, in-vitro organic matter digestibility(IVOMD) of 670.4 g/kg DM and metabolizable energy(ME) of10.0 MJ/kg DM but with the lowest lignin(sa) of 50 g/kg DM. At 25℃, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelial growth rate on PDA and highest lignin(sa) breakdown in the maize stover substrate. It was, therefore,selected as the most ideal fungal species for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Pre-treatment of maize stover with Lactobacillus plantarum and molasses under anaerobic condition for 7 days before inoculation with P. sajor caju resulted into a substrate with the highest(P< 0.05) CP(96.6 g/kg DM), IVDMD(752.3 g/kg DM), IVOMD(687.2 g/kg DM) and ME(10.2 MJ/kg DM). However, neutral detergent fiber exclusive of residual ash(NDFom) and lignin(sa) fractions decreased(P < 0.05) as a result of subjecting maize stover to pre-treatment with L. plantarum and molasses prior to fermentation with P. sajor caju.Therefore, pre-treatment of maize stover with L. plantarum and molasses for 7 days prior to fermentation with P. sajorcaju for 14 days in darkness at 25℃ offered the greatest potential for breaking the lignin barrier.展开更多
文摘Feed scarcity is a major challenge in smallholder production systems especially during the dry season. Sweet potato vines (SPV) contribute over 40% of the crop residues fed to dairy cattle but they are highly perishable resulting into losses of about 24% per season. Ensiling SPV mitigates seasonal feed shortages and assists in coping with seasonal feed price fluctuations. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of sweet potato vines silage (SPVS) supplementation on the performance of lactating Ankole × Friesian crossbred dairy cattle. Four primiparous cows in early lactation were randomly allotted a basal diet of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay supplemented with dairy pellets and four graded levels of SPVS (0, 100, 200 and 300 g/kg of the daily ration) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The animals were given a one-week adaptation period followed by a two weeks data collection period for each diet. Dry matter intake (DMI), live weight changes, milk yield and composition were determined. Dry matter intake improved with addition of SPVS (P ≤ 0.05), with intake being highest (11.9 kg) in cows that were fed the highest SPVS level and lowest in cows that were not given SPVS (6.8 kg). Although animals on diets with 0, 100, 200 g of SPVS/kg of daily ration lost weight, there were no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in body weight changes across all treatments. Milk yield increased with SPVS supplementation by 1.5 - 1.7 kg per cow per day but there were no significant differences between the different SPVS supplementation levels. Milk fat and solids-non-fat differed (P ≤ 0.05) across the four diets but there was no consistent trend observed. Considering profit margins, supplementing dairy cows with SPVS at a level of 100 g/kg of daily ration was the most profitable at Uganda shillings 1290 (0.344 USD) per cow per day. In conclusion, SPVS supplementation improved DMI and milk yield but supplementation beyond 100 g/kg of the daily feed intake was not cost-effective.
文摘Poor nutrition has been identified as a major constraint to productivity in smallholder dairy farming households in Uganda, particularly in Lake Victoria Crescent Agroecological Zone (LVZ). Clarification on nutritional potential of crop residues is central to formulation of sustainable dairy cattle nutrition strategies. Data were collected from 126 randomly selected respondents using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. Farmers’ responses on crop residues utilization, handling, limitations, spatial and temporal variability were collected. Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences on utilization of available crop residues (X2 = 50.4, df = 4, p = 0.0001) among farmer’s rankings. It was established that maize stovers were major crop residues utilized and inadequate knowledge to process crop residues was ranked as a major limitation. The study provided basic information on the importance of crop residues. Further research studies should focus on improving the nutritive value of maize stover.
基金East African Agricultural Productivity Project (EAAP)National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO)the National Livestock Resources Research Institute(NaLIRRI) for the financial support during the progress of this work
文摘The greatest limitation to utilization of maize stover by ruminants as a feed is the high concentration of lignin, which limits fibre digestibility. However, ruminants can effectively utilize maize stover if its nutritive value is improved using white rot fungal species. This study was designed to determine optimal biophysical conditions for mycelial growth and select the most ideal fungal species and pre-treatment options for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Four popular edible Pleurotus fungal species(viz.Pleurotus florida,Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor caju and Pleurotus pulmonarius) were subjected to varying temperatures, pH levels, hydrogen peroxide(H_2 O_2) concentration and illumination to establish the extent of mycelial growth rate.Inclusion of H_2 O_2 was used to determine optimal levels for preservation and prevention of contamination from other indigenous microbiota. Effects of pre-treatment options on chemical composition and nutritive value of maize stover were also examined. Mycelial growth rate of Pleurotus species on potato dextrose agar(PDA) varied(P < 0.05) with temperature, pH level and H_2 O_2 concentration following a quadratic trend. Optimal temperature, pH and H_2 O_2 concentration for mycelial growth on PDA were 25 ℃,5 and 0.01 mL/L, respectively. Under the different bio-physical conditions,P. sajor caju had the highest mycelia density and growth rate. Chemical composition of solid-state fermented maize stover differed(P < 0.05) among the Pleurotus species. Maize stover fermented with P. sajor caju had the highest crude protein(CP) of 86.6 g/kg DM, in-vitro dry matter digestibility(IVDMD) of 731 g/kg DM, in-vitro organic matter digestibility(IVOMD) of 670.4 g/kg DM and metabolizable energy(ME) of10.0 MJ/kg DM but with the lowest lignin(sa) of 50 g/kg DM. At 25℃, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelial growth rate on PDA and highest lignin(sa) breakdown in the maize stover substrate. It was, therefore,selected as the most ideal fungal species for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Pre-treatment of maize stover with Lactobacillus plantarum and molasses under anaerobic condition for 7 days before inoculation with P. sajor caju resulted into a substrate with the highest(P< 0.05) CP(96.6 g/kg DM), IVDMD(752.3 g/kg DM), IVOMD(687.2 g/kg DM) and ME(10.2 MJ/kg DM). However, neutral detergent fiber exclusive of residual ash(NDFom) and lignin(sa) fractions decreased(P < 0.05) as a result of subjecting maize stover to pre-treatment with L. plantarum and molasses prior to fermentation with P. sajor caju.Therefore, pre-treatment of maize stover with L. plantarum and molasses for 7 days prior to fermentation with P. sajorcaju for 14 days in darkness at 25℃ offered the greatest potential for breaking the lignin barrier.
