COMPARATIVE RESPONSES OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA) STRAW TO UREA SUPPLEMENTATION AND UREA TREATMENT

Twenty five 75% Holstein Friesian cross bred bullocks fed rice straw (Oryza sativa) of long form, were fed with the following five treatments. 1. Rice straw, untreated (RS) 2. RS + water (1:1), stored for 24 hours (WRS) 3. RS (100 kg) + urea solution (4 kg urea/100 litre water) and dried (USRS) 4. RS (100 kg) + urea solution (as in 3) stored in wet condition for 24 hours (UWRS) 5. RS (100 kg) + urea solution (as in 3) stored in pit for 21 days (UTRS). Potential digestibility of treatments of RS was evaluated by monitoring (in vitro) Simulating Rumen like Fermentation (SRLF). The results indicated that Dry Matter Intake (DMI), digestibility of nutrients, N utilization were of the order UTRS > UWRS > USRS > WRS and RS (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). SRLF index was high (255.84) for UTRS and least (145.58) for USRS. It was intermediary (199.66) for UWRS. The acetyl content (AC) of UTRS with higher hemicellulose (HCE) digestibility (80.8%) was low compared to UWRS, USRS, RS and WRS. The acetate content was of the order UTRS < UWRS < USRS < WRS and RS thereby indicating that reduction in acetyl content was an index of positive response of urea-treatment of RS. In addition, the ratio of HCE/AC in faeces of UTRS was 0.87 as against the ratios (2.26-2.48) observed in other treatments recording reduction in AC due to urea-treatment. Among the treatments, USRS only supplemented N while UTRS in addition to utilization N, increased the digestibility of structural carbohydrates. Reduction in treatment time from 21 days to 1 day (UWRS) resulted in improvements similar to those of UTRS.