Effect of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaf silage as replacement for fish meal on feed intake and growth performance of crossbred pigs

Pheng Buntha, Khieu Borin, T R Preston^* and B Ogle^**

Center for Livestock and Agriculture Development
buntha@celagrid.org
* Finca Ecológica, TOSOLY, Socorro Colombia
**Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Nutrition & Management,
PO Box 7024, 750 07,Uppsala, Sweden

Eighteen crossbred (Large White x Local) male pigs with initial body weight of 20.9± 0.29 kg were allocated randomly into 3 treatments replicated 6 times, with one pig in each pen. The treatments were ensiled leaves of taro (Colocasia esculenta) replacing 0 (FM), 50 (FM-TS) or 100 (TS) % of the protein from fish meal in a basal diet of sugar palm syrup and rice bran.

Total dry matter feed intake was lower in TS than in FM and FM-TS (P<0.01), also when expressed on a live weight basis (37.8, 41.9 and 33.1 g/kg for FM, FM-TS and TS, respectively) (P<0.01). Average daily gain was highest for FM-TS (278g), followed by FM (226g) and TS (119g) (P<0.05). Dry matter feed conversion and cost of feed per kg gain were highest for TS (8.79 kg/kg gain and 2.24 US$/ kg gain, respectively) and lowest for FM-TS (4.69 kg/kg gain and 1.09 US$/kg gain, respectively) (P>0.05). Daily gains and feed conversion were only around 50% of the genetic potential of the pigs for these traits.

Further research is needed to identify the true constraints to pig growth when protein from ensiled taro leaves is a major component of the diet. 

Key words: Feed conversion ratio, growth, silage, sugar palm syrup,