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Matching Livestock Systems with Available Resources |
MEKARN Regional Conference 2007 |
Effect of sulfur (S) on utilization efficiency of fresh cassava foliage and cassava hay in dairy cows was evaluated using sixteen multiparous Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy cows in mid-lactating (120-150 days-in-milk [DIM]). The experimental treatment was a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a Randomized complete block design (RCBD) using two roughages (rice straw + fresh cassava foliage, FCF and rice straw + cassava hay, CH) and two elemental sulfur (S) levels (0.15and 0.4 % S of dry matter (DM)), respectively. Four dietary treatments (FCF+0.15, FCF+0.4, CH+0.15 and CH+0.4) were offered in the form of total mixed ration (TMR) with with concentrate to roughage (chopped rice straw,30% + chopped cassava foliage, 10%) at 60:40 and were offered ad libitum
The findings revealed that fresh cassava foliage or cassava hay did not affect on dry mater intake, rumen ecology parameters, total tract digestibility, blood metabolites and hormones. However, HCN intake, blood thiocyanate concentration were significantly higher (P<0.01) in cows fed with fresh cassava foliage with no sign of toxicity. Dry matter intake, average dairy gain (ADG), molar percentage of propionate in rumen, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility tended to increase while DM digestibility (65.6, 72.7, 68.6 and 72.1 % of total DM intake for the respective treatments), rumen bacteria populations (1.4, 1.7, 1.6 and 1.7 x1011 cell/ml for respective treatments), fungal zoospores populations (0.4, 0.6, 0.4 and 0.5 x106 cell/ml for respective treatments) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in cows fed on supplemented sulfur of 0.4% DM in comparison with 0.15 % S supplemented diets.
Based on these results, it is concluded that cassava foliage could be used as a portion
of roughage for dairy cows and supplementation of S would be nutritionally
beneficial.