Supplementing rice straw with fresh water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) to improve diet quality and performance in growing local cattle 

Nguyen Van Thu

Cantho University, Vietnam
nvthu@ctu.edu.vn

Abstract

Four local male cattle with average live weight of 290 kg were arranged in a Latin-square design with four treatments, which included fresh water hyacinth replacing rice straw at levels of 0, 25, 50 and 75% in the diets (DM basis). The aim of this study was to find out the optimum level of fresh water hyacinth in cattle diet based on nutrient digestibility, rumen parameters, nitrogen retention and daily weight gain. The multi-nutrient cake containing 323 g CP/kgDM was supplemented in all the diets to adjust the daily CP intake to 210 g/100 kg BW.

Daily DM, OM and ME intakes were significantly different (P<0.05) among the diets. While rumen pH, N-NH­₃ and VFAs concentration were not significantly different (P>0.05) among the treatments. The daily nitrogen retention and weight gain was 0.482, 0.502, 0.510 and 0.480 g/kgW^0.75 and 250, 334, 448 and 403 g for the WH25, WH50, WH75 and WH100 treatments, respectively.

The results indicated that feeding the fresh water hyacinth to replace rice straw up to 75% in local cattle diet could improve ME intake, nutrient digestibility and growth performance. The optimum level of WH replacement to rice straw in the diet was 50%.

Keyword:  intake, growth rate, nitrogen retention, nutrient digestion, rumen parameters,

Introduction

Cattle production is a traditional activity and plays an important role for small farmers in rural area in Vietnam. Vietnam is an agricultural and tropical climate country which produces the enormous agricultural by-products and plants annually. The farmers have used those products as feed for ruminants. Water hyacinth, which large bio-mass and fast growing with productivity about 150 ton/ha/year (Nguyen Bich Ngoc 2000), is available in most canals and rivers in Mekong Delta of Vietnam. In many cases it has caused the problem of environment and the waterway transportation. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) has been also concerned as a potential feed for animals (Nguyen Van Thu and Nguyen Thi Kim Dong, 2010). However, it has not yet been studied to use as a staple feed source for cattle. Therefore the aim of this study was to find out the optimum level of fresh water hyacinth in cattle diet based on nutrient digestibility, rumen parameters, nitrogen retention and daily weight gain for a recommendation of applicable feeding.

Materials and methods

Location of this study

The experiment was conducted in the experimental farm and laboratory of Agriculture and Applied Biology Faculty, Cantho University from December, 2008 to February, 2009.

Treatments and design

The animals were four local male cattle with average live weight of 290 kg. Latin-square design was used in this study. It included four treatments (WH0, WH25, WH50 and WH75), which included fresh water hyacinth levels replacing rice straw at levels of 0, 25, 50 and 75% in the diets (DM basis), respectively.

Feeding and management

Rice straw was fed ad-lib. A multi-nutrient cake containing 323g CP/kg DM was supplemented in all the diets to adjust the daily CP intake to 210 g/100kg BW. Each experimental period lasted 12 days including 7 days for adaptation and 5 days for sample collecting. The feed was fed at 6:30h and 13:30h. Firstly, multi-cake was fed, then fresh water hyacinth and the last being rice straw. Water and feeds offered and refused was measured daily. Feces and urine were collected daily during sample collecting periods. Rumen fluid was taken by stomach tube in order to measure N-NH₃ and volatile fatty acids before and 3 hours after feeding. 

Chemical analysis

Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and total ash (Ash) of samples were determined according to standard methods of AOAC (1990). Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) was analyzed by the method of Van Soest et al (1991). Apparent nutrient digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and nitrogen balance were determined by methods described by Mc.Donald et al (1998) and VFA analysis following Barnet and Reid (1957).

Statistical analysis

The data were compiled in Microsoft Excel software and analyzed by ANOVA using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of Minitab Release 14. The Tukey test for paired comparisons was used for identify differences at P<0.05.  

Results and discussion

Chemical composition of feed ingredients

Data on chemical composition of the feeds are in Table 1.

Feed  intake

DM and OM intakes were gradually downward and significantly different among the treatments (P<0.05) with the lowest value for the WH75 treatment (Table 2). Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh (2010) reported that using fresh water hyacinth to replace Para grass at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels for feeding growing cattle with the average live weight of 210 kg showed that DM intake ranged 3.18-3.32 kg/day. The CP intakes were similar for all the treatments, while NDF intake of the WH75 treatment was significantly lower than other treatments (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in ME intakes among the treatments (P<0.05) with the highest value for the WH50 treatment.  

Rumen parameters

The N-NH₃ and VFA values of rumen fluid after feeding 3 hours were higher than those values  before feeding while pH values tended to remain constant (Table 3).  The N-NH3 values of treatments in Exp were higher than the results of Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh (2007) were 8.4mg/100ml rumen fluid of cattle was supplied cotton meal at 200g/100kg BW level. According to Preston and Leng (2009), N-NH3 concentration in rumen fluid should be in the range 15 to 25 mg/100ml. The higher value of this parameter indicated that rumen function was good. On the contrary, the lower N-NH3 value leaded to reduce the microorganism system of rumen. The pH values in rumen of sheep fed fresh water hyacinth and Para grass reported by Le Thuy Trieu (2009) being from 6.70 to 6.75 were rather lower than results in this study. The N-NH3 and VFAs values at before and after feeding in that study had a similar trend to those of the present study. 

Apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance and daily weight gain

The apparent nutrient digestibility, nitrogen balance and daily weight gain are shown in Table 4.

The apparent digestibility of nutrients comprising DMD, OMD, CPD, NDFD of WH50 diet were higher than the others but no significance (P>0.05) was found. Nitrogen intakes among diets were similar while nitrogen retention increased from WH0 to WH50 treatments and decreased slightly for the WH75 treatment. Above results leading to the weight gain result of WH50 diet had higher significantly (P<0.05). Our results were similar to these of cattle reported by Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh (2010). A study of Begum et al. (2000) shown that body weight gain of bull calves (average weight 68kg) were fed 40% rice straw and 60% water hyacinth leaves in diets was higher than that result of cattle in diets with 40% rice straw and 60% road side grass (115g/day and 107g/day, respectively). They concluded that the combination of fresh water hyacinth leaves with rice straw and concentrate could be used for calves without any adverse effect on growth of animals. The using of fresh water hyacinth replaced Para grass at 75% level (DM basis) still remained normal rumen parameters (N-NH₃, VFAs, pH) and weight gain for growing sheep (Le Thuy Trieu 2009).  

Conclusion

• Feeding fresh water hyacinth to replace rice straw in local cattle diet could improve intake, nutrient digestibility and growth performance

• The optimum level of water hyacinth replacement to rice straw in the diet was 50%.

References

AOAC 1990 Official Methods of Analysis. 13th edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington, DC.

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Begum N., M.J. Khan and K.M.S. Islam 2000 Feeding rations containing road side grass, maize silage or water hyacinth in Bull calves. Pakistan Journal of Biological Science 3(10): 1730-1732, 2000

Le Thuy Trieu, 2009 Effects of different replacement levels of fresh water hyacinth in Para grass basal diets on feed utilization and nutrient digestibility of Bach Thao goat and Phan Rang sheep. MSc thesis, Can Tho University

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Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh 2007 Effects of different crude protein levels and crude protein supplemented feed on nutrient utilization and growth performance of local yellow cattle. MSc thesis (Vietnamese), Can Tho University

Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh, 2010 Effects of Para grass replacement by water hyacinth on nutrient utilization, rumen parameters and nitrogen retention of local growing cattle and buffalo. MSc thesis (Vietnamese), Can Tho University

Nguyen Van Thu and Nguyen Thi Kim Dong, 2010. A study of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) as a feed resource for feeding growing rabbits. International workshop on Livestock, Climate Change and the Environment. 16-18 November 2009, An Giang University, Long Xuyen City, Vietnam. http://www.mekarn.org/workshops/environ/proenv/thuctu.htm

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