Nutritional Evaluation of Some Tropical Crop Residues : In Vitro Organic Matter, Neutral Detergent Fibre, True Dry Matter Digestibility and Metabolizable Energy Using the Hohenheim Gas Test |
E. M. Aregheore, U. J. Ikhatua |
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Abstract |
The Hohenheim in vitro gas test was used to assess the nutritional value of some crop residues of known in vivo digestibility. The crop residues are groundnut shells (GNS) corn cobs (CC); cassava peels (CaP); unripe and ripe plantain peels (UPP, RPP) and citrus pulp/peels (CPP). Compared to other crop residues, crude protein (CP) content of CC was low. Except for CaP and CPP that had low neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF), other residues contained a high amount of cell wall constituents. Net gas production was significantly different among the crop residues (p<0.05). Gas production was highest in CPP followed by CaP. CC, UPP and RPP have the same volume of net gas production, while the least net gas production was in GNS. True dry matter (TDM) digestibility was significantly different (p<0.05) among the residues. GNS was the least in TDM digestibility. CaP, UPP and RPP had similar TDM digestibility values, while the highest TDM digestibility was obtained in CPP. OM digestibility was different among the residues (p<0.05). CaP and CPP had the same ME value while CC, UPP and RPP had close ME values and GNS the least in ME (p<0.05). The potential extent (b) and rate (c) of gas production were statistical different among the residues (p<0.05). The Hohenheim gas test gave high in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility for CC, CaP, UPP and RPP and CPP. Fermentable carbohydrates and probably available nitrogen in the crop residues influenced net gas production. The results showed that crop residues besides, providing bulk are also a source of energy and fermentable products which could be used in ruminant livestock production in the tropics. |
Keywords:
Chemical Analyses; Hohenheim Gas Test; NDF; OMD Digestibilities; Metabolizable Energy; Crop Residues |
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