• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.651-654
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• 2001

A study was made of the efficiency of ammonia N retention by Jowar kadbi (sorghum straw), initially 6.41% crude protein (CP), treated with 4% urea solution. After 30 days the CP in straw that was unchaffed and had been left uncovered was 10.02, and in chaffed straw that had been covered with a polythene sheet was 10.9%. The two treated straws were each fed to six crossbred (HF$\times$Deoni) calves, initially $12{\pm}2$ months old and $86.7{\pm}3.2kg$ bodyweight. They were also given two isocaloric (70% TDN) and isonitrogenous (20% CP) concentrate mixtures differing in calculated Rumen Degradable to Undegradable Dietary Protein ratio (RDP:UDP). Those fed the unchaffed uncovered treated straw (treatment C) received 65 RDP:35UDP and the other group (T1) received concentrate with a 55:45 ratio. The T1 group had the higher DM intake (p<0.01) in total (306 vs 268 kg), per day (4.1 vs 3.6 kg) and per unit bodyweight. Digestibility of DM, OM, CP and NDF, but not ADF, was higher in T1 and that group had the higher daily gain (517 vs 333 g) and higher total gain (38.8 vs 25.0 kg) over the 75 d of the feeding trial. It is concluded that chaffing and covering of Jowar kadbi treated with urea, not likely to be adopted by farmers because of financial constraints, does not confer important benefits. A concentrate supplement (estimated 45% of the CP as UDP) to calves given the treated straw has a beneficial effect on their growth and development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.208-213
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• 2007

The objective of the experiment was to determine the optimum cultural [moisture levels (55, 60 and 70%), days of fermentation (7, 14 and 21), temperature (25 and $35^{\circ}C$) of incubation)] and nutritional parameters (urea addition (0 and 2%) and variable levels of single super phosphate (0.25 and 0.50% SSP)) for bio-processing of the mustard (Brassica campestris) straw (MS) under solid-state fermentation (SSF) system. The performance of SSF was assessed in terms of favorable changes in cell wall constituents, protein content and in vitro DM digestibility of the MS. Sorghum based inoculum (seed culture) of Ganoderma lucidum to treat the MS was prepared. The 50 g DM of MS taken in autoclavable polypropylene bags was mixed with a pre-calculated amount of water and the particular nutrient in the straw to attained the desired levels of water and nutrient concentration in the substrate. A significant progressive increase in biodegradation of DM (p<0.001), NDF (p<0.01) and ADF (p<0.05) was observed with increasing levels of moisture. Among the cell wall constituents the loss of ADF fraction was greatest compared to that of NDF. The loss of DM increased progressively as the fermentation proceeded and maximum DM losses occurred at 28 days after incubation. The protein content of the treated MS samples increased linearly up to the day $21^{th}$ of the incubation and thereafter declined at day $28^{th}$, whereas the improvement in in vitro DM digestibility were apparent only up to the day $14^{th}$ of the incubation under SSF and there after it declined. The acid detergent lignin (ADL) degradation was slower during the first 7 days of SSF and thereafter increased progressively and maximum ADL losses were observed at the day $28^{th}$ of the SSF. The biodegradation of DM and ADL was not affected by the variation in incubation temperature. Addition of urea was found to have inhibitory effect on fungal growth. The effect of both the levels (0.25 and 0.50) of SSP addition in the substrate, on DM, NDF, ADF, cellulose and ADL biodegradation was similar. Similarly, the protein content and the in vitro DM digestibility remain unaffected affected due to variable levels of the SSP inclusion in the substrate. From the results it may be concluded that the incubation of MS with 60 percent moisture for 21 days at $35^{\circ}C$ with 0.25 percent SSP was most suitable for MS treatment with Ganoderma lucidum. Maximum delignification, enrichment in the protein content and improvement in in vitro DM digestibility were achieved by adopting this protocol of bioprocessing of MS.