Ensiled mixed foliage (taro leaves + petioles and banana pseudo-stems) as replacement of rice bran for Mong Cai sows in small holder farms in Thua Thien Hue province  

Hoang Nghia Duyet

HUAF, Hue, VN.
hoangnghiaduyet@gmail.com

Introduction

Thua Thien Hue province is located in Central Vietnam, the coastal districts in Thua Thien Hue province consisting of Phu vang, Quang Dien, Phong Dien, Huong Thuy. They are very large sandy soil area is about 150,000 of hectare (Hoang Nghia Duyet et al, 2009). It is very poor land fertilize and low income of farmers. Taro is main crops in this area, but growing it only one crop per year (in raining season: from September to March). Some species of taros have been growing in sandy soil area of Thua Thien Hue province, such as Bac Ha (Alocasia Odora), mon Quang (Alocasia violeceum), mon cham (Alocasia esculenta) with the area of about 500m² for leaves and roots per household. The yield of taro is about 10 tons of root and 20 - 30 tons of leaves per hectare per crop (Hoang Van Tha, 2003; Mai Thach Hoang and Nguyen Cong Vinh, 2003; Hoang Nghia Duyet and Pham Khanh Tu, 2009), and banana have available during the year in their garden (FAO, 1997).

 Silage of taro leaves and petioles for replacement of rice bran in the diet of Mong Cai sows has been studids (Hoang Nghia Duyet et al, 2009; Hoang Nghia Duyet 2010).

 Banana pseudo stems are used traditionally by farmers as part of the diet of Mong Cai sows in Vietnam but there are no scientific reports on their nutritive value.  For banana pseudo-stems, the DM is 7 to 8% with crude protein of 8.5 to 9.5% in DM (Composition and nutritive value of Animal feeds in Vietnam, 2001). Recent reports indicate that components in different segments of the banana pseudo-stems as: in bottom part: dry matter 3.67%, sugars 50.5%, crude protein 9.03%; In middle part: dry matter 3.93%, sugars 50.3% and crude protein 9.30% and in top part: 4.49%; 57.6% and 9.3% respectively (Tien et al 2010) http://www.mekarn.org/workshops/pakse/abstracts/tien_agu2.htm).

 Recently the price of rice bran, cassava root meal and maize is rapidly increasing (for rice bran 6000 VND/ kg now compared 3000 VND/ kg in the past, cassava root meal 5000 VND/ kg now compared 2000 VND/ kg in the past and maize 6000 VND/ kg now compared to 3000 VND in the past). This is because cereal grain is increasingly being used as a source of fuel via its conversion to ethanol. So it is important to find alternative energy sources by using local by-products and vegetables for feeding MC sows.

 For these reasons it is proposed to carry out a project: "Use of the ensiled mixture of Taro foliage (leaves + stems) and banana pseudo-stems) for replacement of rice bran and fish meal for Mong Cai sows kept in small holder farms in Thua Thien Hue province"   

Hypothesis we tested?

• Taro leaves and stems together with banana pseudo-stems can be ensiled satisfactorily without additives and stored for a long time.
• Silage made from taro foliage (leaves and stems) and banana pseudo-stems can replace part of the traditional energy and protein sources in the diet of MC sows without reducing reproductive performance.

 The work plan

Experiments have been done on farms in Phu Da commune (Phu Vang district)  

Material and methods 

Design of experiments:

Experiment 1: Ensiling ratios of taro foliage and banana pseudo stems

The following ratios of banana pseudo stem and Taro (DM basis) were tested for ensiling with and without molasses. The expected crude protein content of the mixture is close to that in rice bran.

The foliages is chopped into small pieces (1 to 2 cm for taro stems and leaves and 0.5-1 cm for banana pseudo stems) and wilted in sunlight to reduce the moisture to about 75-80%, prior to ensiling in rigid plastic containers of 2 litters capacity with 4 replications of each treatment. A separate container were opened at 0, 3, 8, 15 and 30 days for measurement of pH, DM, CP and sugars.

Experiment 2: Replacing rice bran with ensiled mixture of bananas pseudo stem and taro foliage in the diet of Mong Cai sows

Procedure

Using ensiled mixture of banana pseudo stem and taro foliage replace rice bran at levels of 100, 75, 50, 25 or 0 (DM basis).

Feeds and feeding

The silage of banana pseudo stem and taro leaves + stems is made by using a 100 litters PVC containers.

Animals:

20 MC were selected from famer farms in Phu Da commune (Phu Vang distict, Thua Thien Hue province). All of them are from parity third or more and live weight of about 80 kg. They are allocated at random to the five diets. All of them were mated by AI with the same semen of Yorkshire boar. The sows were kept in individual concrete floor pens. Three weeks after mating, the sows were fed the experimental diets.

The amount of feed (DM basis) were the same treatments: For the pregnancy period, the sow were feed 1.5 kg of feed/ day (in DM). In lactation period the sow were feed with increasing amounts after farrowing and after 5 days feeding by ad libitum. Protein levels were 12% in DM in the diets for pregnancy and lactation periods. The composition of diets in table 2.3

Measurements:

- Live weight gain in pregnancy and live weight loss in lactation stages of the sows.

- Stillbirth and mortality of the piglets after birth and during lactation stage (%)

- Litter size at birth and at weaning (piglets/ litter).

- Live weight of the piglets at birth and at weaning (kg/ piglet).

- Litter weight of piglets at 21 days of age (potential of sow lactation).

- FCR and price to produce 1 kg of weaning piglet (kg feed/ kg weaning piglet and price).

- Benefit between treatments

Statistical analysis

The Excel and Minitab (16) softwares used for the analysis.

 Some results are obtained:

 Result of the experiment 1: Ensiling ratios of taro foliage and banana pseudo stems

Table 3.1. pH change during Ensiled time

Figer 1. pH changge during Ensiling

Table 2.1 and figure 1 shown that pH of the mass ensiled are rudue very quickly from 0 to 3 days of the time ensiling, after that continuing redue but slowely. After 15 days of ensiling pH ensiled mass reached under 4. It’s mean that ensiled mass of mixt taro leaves-stems and banana pseudo-stems could be stored for long time without molasses   

Table 3.2. Dry mater (DM) and crude protein (CP) of mixture ensiled mass at 0 and 30 days

Notes:

-          Banana pseudo stems: DM (%): 9.83; CP (%): 4.25% in DM

-          Taro leaves + Stems: DM (%): 10.0; CP: 16.6 % in DM

Figure 2. Dry mater and crude protein of mixture ensiled at 0 and 30 days

DM (%)                                                             CP(%)

Table 2.2 and figure 2 shown that DM and CP were not changed during ensiled time (P>0.05) and none significant difference between with and without molasses (P>0.05)

3.2. Result the experiment 2: Replacing rice bran with ensiled mixture of bananas pseudo stem and taro foliage in the diet of Mong Cai sows

The results of the experimental shown in table 3.3

Table 3.3. Results of reproductive performance of Mong Cais sows (µ ± SE)

Table 3.3 shown that LW lost of the sows during lactation were highest in treatment EBT100 (23,1%), then treatment EBT 75 (19,9%) and lowest in treatment EBT0 (15,3%), but none significant difference between treatments (P>0.05).

Litter size at birth and at weaning: All of treatments have got large litter size at birth and at weaning (average litter size at birth above 10 piglets/ litter and at weaning from 9.5 to 10.5 piglets/ litter) and none significant differences between treatments.

 Birth weight and weaning weight were lowest in treatment EBT100, then treatment EBT75, it is significant difference between treatment EBT100 and EBT75 (P<0.05).

It were higher in three treatments (EBT50, EBT75 and EBT100) they are none significant difference between treatments (P>0.05). It is mean that replayed 100 % of rice bran in the diets, made lower birth weight of piglets.

Weaning weight: also lowest in treatment EBT100%, then treatment EBT75%, it is significant different between treatment EBT100 and treatment EBT75 (P<0.05); It was higher in 3 treatments (EBT50, EBT25 and EBT0), but they are none significant different between treatments (P>0.05).

Re-mating time and reproductive cycle were longer, so lower number of litters/ sow/ year in treatment EBT100 , then treatment EBT 75, it is significant different between treatments (P<0.05).

It were shorter re-mating time and reproductive cycle, so higher the number of litters/ sow/ year in treatment EBT50, EBT25 and EBT0.

FCR for produce 1 kg of weaning piglet were lowest in treatment EBT25, then treatment EBT50 (they are lower than 4kg feed) and highest in treatment EBT100 and treatment EBT75. It is significant different between treatments (P<0.05).

IV. Conclusion:

Through carrying out this project, we have some conclusions:

-          Mixture taro leaves, stems and banana pseudo could be easy to ensiled without molasses, but can storing long time for MC feed

-          pH of the mass ensiled are reduce very quickly from 0 to 3 days of the time ensiling, after that continuing redue but slowely. After 15 days of ensiling pH ensiled mass reached under 4. It’s mean that ensiled mass of mixt taro leaves-stems and banana pseudo-stems could be stored for long time without molasses

-          DM and CP of the ensiled mass were not changed during ensiled time  

-          We can used the mixture of taro leaves, stems and banana pseudo for replacement 75-100 commercial feed in diets of MC sows  

-          Used 100% ensiled mixture taro leaves, stems and banana pseudo in the diet have made lower reproductive performance of Mong Cai sows, cause lower feed intake, lack energy and crude protein for the MC sows

-          Optimum level of EBT for replaying the concentrate diet of MC sows is 50%        

APPENDIX

Table 2.4. Feed composition in treatment 1 with BT (banana + Taro) 100% (DM basis)

Table 2.5. Feed composition in treatment 1 with BT (banana + Taro) 75% (DM basis)

Table 2.6. Feed composition in treatment 1 with BT (banana + Taro) 50% (DM basis)

Table 2.7. Feed composition in treatment 1 with BT (banana + Taro) 25% (DM basis)

Table 2.8. Feed composition in treatment 1 with BT (banana + Taro) 0% (DM basis)