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Centre for Livestock and Agriculture Development,
CelAgrid
Cambodia
phiny_kh@yahoo.com /
chphiny@celagrid.org
In Cambodia 85% of the population are farmers, earning their living through agricultural activities, including cultivation of crops and livestock production. Almost all farmers keep livestock, such as cattle, buffaloes, pigs and chickens. A survey conducted in a northeastern province of Cambodia showed that a family kept an average of 3.4 ± 0.149 head of cattle, 0.87 ± 0.106 pigs and 7.3 ± 0.719 adult chickens (CelAgrid, 2006a). Pigs are kept mainly for family income and so far few commercial pig farms are operated in Cambodia, mainly located close to the towns. Beside cash income livestock are an important source of protein for the rural families.
Monogastric animal production, especially pigs, has to be carefully considered, because they often compete with humans for food, and these feeds are generally the most expensive diet ingredients, particularly protein feeds. However, a potential solution is instead to use farm products and by-products that are locally available. Preston (2006) reported that the leaves from shrubs such as cassava and mulberry, sweet potato, and water plants such as duckweed (Lemna spp) and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), can be used successfully in diets for pigs to replace at least half the protein usually supplied as soya bean and fish meals. In animal production, the utilization of unconventional feeds for animal feeding will contribute to the reduction of food deficiency in the future.
Amongst potential tropical forages, mulberry leaves have not been given much attention as a protein source, particularly for feeding to pigs. Several studies on mulberry leaves for silk worm production have been carried out, which indicate that they could be a valuable source of protein for pigs (Chiv Phiny et al., 2003). Mulberry leaves have a crude protein (CP) content ranging from 18-25% in DM and have good biological value (Chiv Phiny et al., 2006). During the last decade a number of researchers have extensively studied the use of water spinach for pig feeding (Le Thin Men, 1999). However, few studies have looked at the interaction of mixed forages such as water spinach and mulberry in diets for pigs, and as both forages are accessible and easily cultivated by small scale pig producers in the rural areas, it is important to study them and document the results for wider distribution and dissemination.
When using forages in pig feeding it is also important to look at the energy sources and select those that are highly digestible and easily obtained in the rural areas. In this case, cassava root meal, rice bran, broken rice and sugar palm syrup are the potential sources of energy selected for study.
Digestibility, N retention and efficiency of protein utilization would be higher, and growth rate and feed conversion would be improved: (i) when the energy component of the diet was low in fibre; and (ii) when the protein was derived from a mixture of mulberry leaves with water spinach rather than water spinach alone.
The aim of the studies was to increase and improve the knowledge of the nutritional potential and utilization of water spinach and mulberry leaves as protein sources for growing pigs fed cassava root meal, rice bran, sugar palm syrup and broken rice. The specific objectives were to look at:
The effect of water spinach or water spinach mixed with mulberry leaves on digestibility and N balance in pigs fed basal diets of cassava root meal plus rice bran or sugar palm syrup plus broken rice.
The effect of water spinach or water spinach mixed with mulberry leaves on the performance traits of growing pigs fed basal diets of cassava root meal plus rice bran or sugar palm syrup plus broken rice.