Mini-project Research protocol  

MSc in Tropical Livestock Systems (2005-2007)
Contents

Citation of this paper

Evaluating vegetative protein source for monogastric animals

Effect of a supplement of water spinach to partially replace stylosanthes for growing pigs fed a basal diet of broken rice


Joomjantha Supawat

Khon kaen University,Thailand
jyjoe28@yahoo.com

Introduction

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is a water and marsh plant with creeping, hollow, water filled stems and shiny green leaves. Water spinach is readily eaten by pigs and is a locally available feed resource throughout the country. It is cultivated for human food and used as pig and other animal feed in Asia countries such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  The fresh leaves and stems of water spinach have a crude protein content of between 20 and 31% in DM (Le Thi Men et al 2000) and ash concentrations of around 12% of DM (Gohl 1981). There are promising recent developments in the use of water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) as a farm-grown, protein-rich forage for pigs (Prak Kea et al 2003; Ly et al 2002; Chhay Ty et al 2005).

Hypothesis

Replacing stylosanthes with water spinach will improve growth of pigs fed a basal diet of broken rice.

The objectives

To study using water spinach to replacement of stylosanthes in diets for growing local pigs fed broken rice as a basal diet.


Materials and Methods

Treatments

There are three treatments and three replicates as follows:

 

Lay out of the experiment

WS50

WS25

WS50

WS50

ST

ST

WS25

ST

WS25

 

Experimental animals

These are 9 local female pigs (about 15 kg).

Feeds and Feeding

The basal diet is broken rice fed at 2% of body weight. The forages are chopped and fed fresh as mixtures at the rate of 120% of observed intake. The feeds are offered twice daily at 07:00 a.m. and 17:00 p.m. Water will be available all the time.

Measurements

Pigs will be weighed at the beginning and every 5 days. Feeds offered and refused are determine daily. Samples of feed and refusals are taken every 3 days for analysis of DM by micro-wave radiation (Undersander et al 1993), OM and N (AOAC 1990) and water extractable DM (Ly and Preston 1997). Faeces are collected during each of the last 5 days of the experiment, 10% of each day's collection being stored in the refrigerator until the end of the 5 days when the samples are bulked, mixed and analysed for  DM, N and water extractable DM.

Statistical analysis

The data will be analysed using the ANOVA GLM option of the Minitab (version 13.3) software. Sources of variation are: protein sources and error.


References

Chanphone Keoboualapheth and Choke Mikled 2003: Growth Performance of Indigenous Pigs Fed with Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 as Replacement for Rice bran;  Livestock Research for Rural Development (15) 9 Retrieved , from http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd15/9/chan159.htm

Chhay Ty and Preston T R 2005  Effect of water spinach and fresh cassava leaves on growth performance of pigs fed a basal diet of broken rice; Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 17, Article # 76 Retrieved September 20, 2005, from http://www.mekarn.org/proctu/chha27.htm

Gohl B 1981 Tropical feeds. Feed information summaries and nutritive values. FAO Animal Production and Health Series 12. FAO, Rome. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Acacia_albida.html

Kean Sophea and Preston T R 2001 Comparison of biodigester effluent and urea as fertilizer for water spinach vegetable. Livestock Research for Rural Development 13 (6) 2001; http://www.cipav.org.co/lrrd/lrrd13/6/kean136.htm

Le Thi Men, Ogle B and Vo Van Son. 2000 Evaluation of water spinach as