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Research grant application (SAREC Regional fund)

(2001-2003)

 

Project title : Effect on growth, digestibility and purine excretion of different ways and frequencies of administering vegetable oil to cattle and goats fed on rice straw

 

1.0 Applicant (or team of applicants)

1.1 Name(s):  Mr Sok Piseth

1.2 1.1.1 Name of Team leader (where appropriate) Mr Sok Piseth

1.3  Sex: Female [ ], Male [X ]

Details for team leader only

1.3 Nationality :  Cambodian

1.4 Date of birth:  28 July 1975

1.5 E‑mail address : piseth@uta.edu.kh

1.6 Fax number:

1.7 Telephone number:  855-23-365445

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:  BVSc

Dates: 

Degree obtained:

 

4.0 Work Experience`(give dates and employer):

June 2000 to June 2001, Agricultural Trainer at Heifer Project International

 

5.0 Previous and present position:

June 2000 to June 2001, Agricultural Trainer at Heifer Project International

1 July 2001 Researcher in University of Tropical Agriculture Foundation

 

 6.0. Your publications

 

 

7.0 Scientific contacts (e-mail adddresses)

Dr T R Preston (trpreston@email.com)

Lylian Rodriguez (lylianr@uta.edu.kh)

Sen Sovann (mailto:ssovan@forum.org.kh)

 

8.0 References

 

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

Dr T R Preston (trpreston@email.com)

Sen Sovann (mailto:ssovan@forum.org.kh)

Khieu Borin (mailto: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

 

Sustainable Use of Renewable Natural Resources

 

10.0 The research you wish to undertake.

10.1 The problem to be addressed:

Rice straw is the major feed resource for cattle and buffalo in Cambodia.  It is of low digestibility and is low in  crude protein.  Many attempts have been made to improve its feed value but the impact with farmers in the SE Asia region of the techniques that have been developed (urea ensiling; supplementation with multi-nutrient blocks) has been limited (Chenost and Kayouli 1998).  Farmers in the centre of Vietnam have a tradition of dosing young cattle with groundnut oil before fattening them on a diet of rice straw and road-side grass. These farmers claim the cattle grow faster. It was hypothesized that the effect of the oil could be to eliminate the protozoa from the rumen (Nguyen Thi Hong Nhan et al 2001). and  to increase the net microbial growth efficiency in the rumen and the protein supply to the animal. When rumen-cannulated animals were drenched with groundnut oil, the protozoa were eliminated from the rumen and the animals could be kept free of protozoa by isolation.  On smallholder farms, the growth rates of cattle fed rice straw and roadside grass and drenched with groundnut oil were increased considerably (65%) compared with untreated control animals (Nguyen Thi Hong Nhan et al 2001).

 

The advantages of the oil drench have been confirmed in an experiment in UTA, Cambodia  (Mom Seng et al 2001).  Growth rates in local “yellow” cattle fed rice straw (RS)  were increased by the single oil drench (O) (P=0.024) and by supplementation with cassava (C) foliage (C) (P=0.002); the mean values for live weight gain over the feeding trial were 27 vs 97 [RS vs RSO] and 155 vs 345 g/day (SE mean ± 45) [RSC vs RSCO ]. Dry matter conversion figures were 133 vs 35.6 (RS vs RSO) and 22.5 vs 13.6 (RSC vs RSCO). The relative protozoal  biomasses throughout the 84 day trial were estimated to be at least three times higher in animals that did not receive the oil treatment.

 

It is proposed to extend these developments by examining:  different sources, ways and frequencies of administering the oil, with and without urea, using as the basal diet the untreated rice straw supplemented with cassava foliage and a mineral mixture; purine excretion rates will be determined to confirm that the effects of the oil are to increase microbial protein flow from the rumen.

 

10.2 What is the hypothesis you wish to test?

The hypotheses to be tested are:

1.      The oil (usually 5% of the animal liveweight) can be administered in the feed with similar results to when it is given as a drench

2.      Giving the oil at monthly intervals in smaller quantities will support better animal performance than giving is as a single dose at the beginning.

3.      Rubberseed oil (local product) will be as effective as groundnut oil

4.      There will be no need to feed urea when cassava forage is given

5.      Animals treated with the oil will have higher rates of microbial protein flow from the rumen.

6.      The digestibility of the oil will be close to 100%.

 

10.3 Work plan

Experiment 1: Effect of different ways of administering the oil

Twelve local male cattle “(“Yellow” breed), of about one year of age and weighing about 100 kg, will be allocated to the following four treatments, according to a 2*2 factorial arrangement, after stratification on the basis of liveweight:

 

• OBD: Oil as a single drench at the beginning
• OBF: Oil mixed with rice bran fed on day 1
• OID: Same as OBD but with additional oil given at half the initial dose at two-monthly intervals
• OIF: Same as OBF but with additional oil given at two-monthly intervals in the feed at half the initial dose

 

Feeds and housing

The basic diet will consist of rice straw fed ad libitum supplemented with 300 g daily of a urea / mineral mixture (15% urea, 5% salt, 5% bone meal, 10% sugar palm syrup and 65% rice bran) and fresh cassava foliage at a daily rate of 3 kg/100 kg liveweight. For treatments OBF and OIF the oil will be mixed with rice bran (1 to 1.5 kg according to size of animal and amount of oil to be given). The animals are housed in individual pens (2*2 m area) with concrete floors in a building with a thatch roof. Water will be always available.

 

The oil given as an initial dose is at 0.5% of liveweight. For the oil treatment every two months the repeated amounts will be at 0.25% of liveweight.

Measurements

Liveweights are recorded at the beginning of the experiment and every 14 days for a total period of 84 days. Feed offered and refused is recorded daily. Samples of rumen fluid aare taken by stomach tube after oil treatment at the beginning and every month afterwards for treatments OBD and OBF. For treatments OIB and OIF rumen samples will be taken the day before repeated administration of the oil and 3 days afterwards. Counts of protozoal numbers by main species (large and small protozoa) will be  done on fresh samples using a 2mm deep counting chamber. Protozoal biomass  will be determined by centrifuging rumen fluid at low speed, decanting the rumen liquor and washing with physiological saline three or four times and then measuring the relative quantities in a haemocrit tube (Leng 2001, personal communication). Rumen ammonia and volatile fatty acids will be measured by steam distillation and titration.  Digestibility of the diets will be estimated midway through the trial using the total collection method.

 

Experiments 2:

The same procedure will be used to compare groundnut oil versus rubberseed oil and presence or absence of urea in the diet.

 

Experiment 3: Effects of oil treatment on purine excretion in the urine and oil digestibility

This will be done with 8 goats that will be fed palm syrup as the basal diet known to support high populations of protozoa (R A Leng, Personal communication). All the goats will be fed the sugar palm syrup ad libitum with a supplement of urea-minerals (15% urea, 5% salt, 5% bone meal, 10% sugar palm syrup and 65% rice bran) at the rate of 300 g / 100 kg liveweight  and fresh cassava foliage at the rate of 3kg per 100 kg liveweight.  After 7 days adaptation to the diets, total collection of urine and faces will be made over a period of 5 days. The day after the urine collection, rumen samples will be taken by stomach tube to determine protozoal populations and biomass, and ammonia and VFA in the rumen liquor. Four of the goats will be drenched with groundnut oil at the rate of 0.5% of liveweight; the other four will have the same amounts of oil administered as a feed mixed with rice bran at twice the weight of the oil. Three days after administering the oil (or as soon as the animals recover the feed intake to what it was before oil was given) samples of rumen fluid will be taken for protozoa, ammonia and VFA determinations.  Total collection of urine will be made daily for 7 days and samples retained for estimation of purines by the method of Chen and Gomes (1992). Faeces will be collected daily and samples taken for determination of dry matter by the micro-wave oven technique (Undersander et al 1993), nitrogen, ether extract (AOAC 1990) and NDF (Van Soest et al (1991).

Feed offered and refused will be recorded daily and samples analysed for dry matter and for nitrogen. Measurements of protozoa, ammonia and VFA are as described in experiment 1.

 

Statistical analysis

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

 

 11.0 Summary

Rice straw is the major feed resource for cattle and buffalo in Cambodia.  The practice in Vietnam of dosing young cattle with groundnut oil before fattening them on a diet of rice straw and road-side grass will be the basis of this study which will examine different ways and frequencies of administering the oil to cattle and goats fed rice straw. The basal diet of rice straw will be supplemented with urea / minerals and with fresh cassava foliage, following the results reported in  a trial in this laboratory. Comparisons will be made of ways (drench or in the feed) and frequencies (at beginning or at monthly intervals) of giving the oil, of different oils (groundnut versus rubberseed) and with or without urea .Treatment effects will be measured by growth rate and feed conversion (cattle) and purine excretion in urine and feed digestibility (goats).

 

         12. Budget     

 

Item No			Cost (USD)	Sub-total (USD)
12.1 Equipment
Desk centrifuge			750
Soxhlet apparatus			750
4 metabolism cages for goats			400	1900
12.2 Expend. Supplies
Chemical reagents			300
Glassware			300
Sugar palm syrup			200
Urea / minerals			100
Cassava leaves			500
Cooking oil			120	1660
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	1200	1200
12.6 Other costs		Repair to cattle pens	300	300
			Total	5800

 

 

         13. Justification of budget items

 

12.1 A soxhlet apparatus is needed to make the oil analyses. A desk centrifuge is needed to determine protozoal biomass. Addition digestibility cages (n=4) are needed for the experiment with goats

12.2 Four tonnes of rice straw need to be purchased and five tonnes of cassava leaves, plus palm syrup (200 kg), urea, minerals and cooking oil. Reagents and glassware are needed for analyses in the laboratory.

12.3 Access to the Internet is USD 4.00/hour in Cambodia

12.4 A motor cycle is used for journeys to the markets to purchase supplies (fuel, oil and repairs)

12.5Labour is needed to help with feeding and care of the animals and for the digestibility trial.

12.6 Repairs are needed of the existing cattle pens

 

 14. References

 

AOAC 1990 Official methods of Analysis.  Association of Official Analytical Chemists (15^th edition) (Editor: K Helrick). Arlington pp230

Chen X B  and Gomes M J 1992 Estimation of microbial protein supply to sheep and cattle based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives - an overview of the technical details. International Feed Resources Unit Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn Aberdeen AB2 9SB, UK Occasional Publication 1992
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 May 2001                                                                               Date:  6 May 2001