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Research Cooperation for Livestock-Based Sustainable Agriculture in the Lower Mekong Basin

 

 

Title: 

Evaluation of mulberry leaf meal as replacement for dried fish in rice bran / rubberseed diets for growing Mong Cai pigs

 

 

 

 

Institutions:

University of Tropical Agriculture – Royal University of Agriculture (Cambodia)

 

 

 

Lead scientists and institutions:

Mr Chiev Phiny

University of Tropical Agriculture and Royal University of Agriculture

 

Starting date:

May 2001

 

 

Budget:

USD 5,300

 

 


Research grant application (SAREC Regional fund)

(2001-2003)

 

Project title : Evaluation of mulberry leaf meal as replacement for dried fish in rice bran / rubberseed  diets for growing Mong Cai pigs

 

1.0 Applicant (or team of applicants)

1.1 Name(s): Chiev Phiny

1.1.1 Name of Team leader (where appropriate)

1.2  Sex: Female [ ], Male [X ]

Details for team leader only

1.3 Nationality :  Cambodian

1.4 Date of birth:  5 January 1973

1.5 E‑mail address : phiny@uta.edu.kh

1.6 Fax number:

1.7 Telephone number: 855-023-365445

1.8 Name of institution: University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation

1.9 Name of immediate supervisor:  Dr T R Preston

 

 

2.0 Languages: Easily (E); Not easily (NE)

 

               Read             Comprehend     Speak            Write

 

               E      NE       E         NE        E      NE         E      NE

English  X                                 X                     X                     X

                                                               

 

3.0 Academic record (University only)

Name of University:  Royal University of Agriculture

Dates:    1995 - 2000

Degree obtained:  BSc

Dates: 

Degree obtained:

 

4.0 Work Experience`(give dates and employer):

June 2000 to January 2001, Thesis research working in the University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation
February 2001 to present date: Researcher in the University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation

 

5.0 Previous and present position:

February 2001 to present date: Researcher in the University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation

 

 

 6.0. Your publications

 

Chiev Phiny and Lylian Rodríguez  2001 Digestibility and nitrogen retention parameters in Mong Cai pigs fed juice from sugar palm (Borassus flabiller) supplemented with ensiled fresh water fish.  Livestock Research for Rural Development, (13) 2:  http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd13/2/phin132.htm (In press)

 

7.0 Scientific contacts (e-mail adddresses)

Dr Julio Ly (julioly@uta.edu.kh)

Dr T R Preston (trpreston@email.com)

Lylian Rodriguez (lylianr@uta.edu.kh)

Khieu Borin (borin@forum.org.kh)

 

8.0 References

 

Give the names and addresses (by e‑mail if possible) of three referees

Dr Julio Ly (julioly@uta.edu.kh)

Lylian Rodriguez (lylianr@uta.edu.kh)

Khieu Borin (borin@forum.org.kh)

 

 

9.0 The target groups:

 

9.1 Improving the well-being of the Rural Poor

9.2 Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources

9.3 Increasing biodiversity

 

My research is directed at the Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources (9.2)

 

10.0 The research you wish to undertake.

10.1 The problem to be addressed:

Analysis of local sources of rice bran show that most of them are low in protein (less than 10% in dry matter) probably because of a high proportion of fibre in the bran, originating from the rice hulls. There are no data on the digestibility for pigs of local sources of rice bran. If low digestibility of dry matter is a limiting factor to pig  growth, then substitution of part of the bran with ground rubberseed meal (contains 25%oil) should be advantageous.

 

The principal source of supplementary protein for pig diets in Cambodia is dried small fish that are harvested from the Tonle Sap river when water flows from the Tone Sap lake at the beginning of the dry season.  The production is seasonal and only available to farmers in areas adjacent to the river and to the capital.  There is therefore a need to develop alternative protein sources which can be used instead of fish meal in rice bran diets for pigs and which can be grown in farmers’ fields. Mulberry (Morus alba) adapts well to conditions in Cambodia and is highly productive with high nutritrive value when fertilized with biodigester effluent or goat manure (San Thy 2001, personal communication).

 

10.2 What is the hypothesis you wish to test?

Three hypotheses will be tested:

1. The leaves of the mulberry tree (Morus alba) will be comparable with dried fish as a supplement to improve the protein supply in diets for growing pigs based on rice bran.

2. The nutritive value of the mulberry leaves will be the same when fed fresh or after sun-drying

3. Substituting 30 to 40% of the rice bran with ground whole rubberseed will raise the digestible energy content of the diet and increase nitrogen retention in growing pigs.

 

10.3 Work plan

The study will involve two experiments. One experiment will study the effect on digestibility and nitrogen retention in growing pigs of supplementing rice bran with dried fish or mulberry leaf meal, and of replacing 50% of the bran with ground rubberseed. The second experiment will compare fresh and dried leaves of Mulberry as a supplement to rice bran (or the mixture of rice bran and rubberseed ) with or without dried fish.

 

Experiment 1: Mulberry leaf meal or fish meal as protein sources for rice bran

Treatments and design:

Eight Mong Cai castrated male pigs of 8-10 kg liveweight will be allocated to a replicated 4*4 Latin square arrangement of the following treatments:

·        RBM: Same as RBDF but with mulberry leaf meal instead of fish meal

·        RBRSF: Same as RBM but with ground rubberseed (30% replacement of rice bran on DM basis) and dried fish to raise the protein to 13% in dry matter

·        RBRSM: Same as RBCDF but with mulberry leaf meal instead of fish meal

 

There will be a preliminary period during which only rice bran (RB) supplemented with minerals and vitamins is fed at 4% (dry matter basis) of liveweight. The arrangement of treatments for each square is in Table 1.

 

Table 1:  Arrangement of dietary treatments

Periods / pigs

1

2

3

4

Preliminary

RB

RB

RB

RB

1

RBDF

RBM

RBRSM

RBRSF

2

RBRSF

RBDF

RBM

RBRSM

3

RBRSM

RBRSF

RBDF

RBM

4

RBM

RBRSM

RBRSAF

RBDF

 

Experimental periods are of 10 days: 5 days for adaptation and 5 for collection of faeces and urine.

 

Experiment 2: Fresh or dried leaves of Mulberry

Treatments and design:

Eight Mong Cai castrated male pigs of 8-10 kg liveweight will be allocated to a replicated 4*4 Latin square arrangement of the following treatments:

·        RBFM: Same as RBDM but with fresh leaves of Mulberry

·        RBDMDF: Same as RBDM but with dried fish providing 50% of the supplementary protein

·        RBFMDF: Same as RBFM but with dried fish providing 50% of the supplementary protein

 

 

Feeds and housing (both experiments)

Foliage (leaves and petioles) of mulberry, grown on the UTA farm, will be sun-dried and ground to make leaf meal, or fed freshly harvested. Whole rubberseed will be obtained from Chup Rubber Plantation and ground by machine.  Dried fish are purchased in the market and ground to make a meal. Rice bran is purchased from a rice mill where it is known that the bran contains less than 10% protein. The pigs are housed in metabolism cages made from bamboo and rattan with floor area of 70*70cm.

 

Digestibility and nitrogen retention

Feed allowances are set at 4% (dry matter basis) of liveweight. Faeces are collected daily and stored at –20 C until the end of the collection period when they are weighed, mixed and sub-samples taken for estimation of dry matter and nitrogen (on the fresh faeces).  Urine is collected daily in containers with N H2SO4 to keep the pH below 4.0. At the end of the collection period the total quantities are weighed and sub-samples taken for nitrogen determination.

 

Measurements

Feed offered and refused will be recorded and samples taken for estimation of dry matter), nitrogen and NDF. Dry matter estimations are by micro-wave (Undersander et al 1993), nitrogen using the “Foss-Tecatur kleldahl” system and NDF according to Van Soest et al (1991).

 

Statistical analysis

The data will be analysed by ANOVA using the GLM model of the Minitab (version 12.1) software.

 
 11.0 Summary

The low nutritive value of rice bran is a factor limiting the efficient use of this widely available feed resource in Cambodia. Supplementation with dried fish or Mulberry leaves, and partial replacement of the bran with ground rubberseed will be studied in order to improve pig performance on these diets. Two experiments will be done to measure digestibility and nitrogen retention in growing pigs given diets of: rice bran supplemented with dried fish or mulberry leaf meal and with replacement of  30% of the bran with ensiled cassava root (experiment 1); rice bran (or the mixture of rice bran and rubberseed), and with fresh or dried leaves of Mulberry with and without fish meal (experiment 2). Eight Mong Cai pigs of 8-10 kg liveweight will be fed the experimental diets in a replicated 4*4 Latin square arrangement  and will be housed in metabolism cages for collection of faeces and urine. Nutritive value of the diets will be determined on the basis of apparent digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen and nitrogen retention.

 

         12. Budget     

 

Item No

Description

Cost (USD)

Sub-total (USD)

12.1 Equipment

 

Micro-wave oven

450

 

Accessories for Foss-Tecator

1000

1450

12.2 Expend. supplies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 pigs

160

 

Chemical reagents

1000

 

Glassware

500

 

Rice bran

160

 

Rubberseed

80

 

Dried fish

100

 

Mulberry leaf meal

100

 

Premixes

50

2150

12.3 Literature / internet
 and email

 

240

240

12.4 Local travel

Motor cycle fuel, oil, repairs

500

500

12.5 Extra labour

Salary for 12 months

960

960

 

Total

5300

 

         13. Justification of budget items

1.The accessory for the Foss-Tecator system is to automate the distillation / titration operation so as to be able to process samples more rapidly.

2.The existing micro-wave oven is 4 years old and needs to  be replaced.

3. Pigs have to be purchased from the UTA farm and feeds from the market.

4. Reagents and glassware have to be imported from Cambodia and are expensive

5. Access to the Internet is expensive in Cambodia (USD 4.00/hour)

6. I use a motor cycle for journeys to markets in Phnom to purchase supplies, and need to

buy fuel, oil and pay for repairs

7. Labour is needed to help with cultivation, harvesting and drying of mulberry foliage, and

in feed preparation and work with the metabolism cages

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Undersander D, Mertens D R and Thiex N 1993 Forage analysis procedures. National Forage Testing Association. Omaha pp 154

Van Soest P J, Robertson J B and Lewis B A 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74:3583-3593

 

 

 

 

 

Certified by the Head of Department                       Applicant

 

 

 

Date: 6 March 2001                                                  Date:  5 March 2001