Kampanat Phesatcha

Dietary sources and their effects on animal production and environmental sustainability

Animal agriculture has been an important component in the integrated farming systems in developing countries. It serves in a paramount diversified role in producing animal protein food, draft power, farm manure as well as ensuring social status-quo and enriching livelihood. Ruminants are importantly contributable to the well-being and the livelihood of the global population. Ruminant production systems can vary from subsistence to intensive type of farming depending on locality, resource availability, infrastructure accessibility, food demand and market potentials. The growing demand for sustainable animal production is compelling to researchers exploring the potential approaches to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from livestock. Global warming has been an issue of concern and importance for all especially those engaged in animal agriculture. Methane (CH4) is one of the major GHG accounted for at least 14% of the total GHG with a global warming potential 25-fold of carbon dioxide and a 12-year atmospheric lifetime. Agricultural sector has a contribution of 50 to 60% methane emission and ruminants are the major source of methane contribution (15 to 33%). Methane emission by enteric fermentation of ruminants represents a loss of energy intake (5 to 15% of total) and is produced by methanogens (archae) as a result of fermentation end-products. Ruminants׳ digestive fermentation results in fermentation end-products of volatile fatty acids (VFA), microbial protein and methane production in the rumen. Rumen microorganisms including bacteria, protozoa and fungal zoospores are closely associated with the rumen fermentation efficiency. Besides using feed formulation and feeding management, local feed resources have been used as alternative feed additives for manipulation of rumen ecology with promising results for replacement in ruminant feeding. Those potential feed additive practices are as follows: 1) the use of plant extracts or plants containing secondary compounds (e.g., condensed tannins and saponins) such as mangosteen peel powder, rain tree pod; 2) plants rich in minerals, e.g., banana flower powder; and 3) plant essential oils, e.g., garlic, eucalyptus leaf powder, etc. Implementation of the -feed-system using cash crop and leguminous shrubs or fodder trees are of promising results.

Comparison of banana flower powder and sodium bicarbonate supplementation on rumen fermentation and milk production in dairy cows

Four Holstein-Friesian crossbred dairy cows were randomly assigned according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to study the effect of banana flower powder (BAFLOP) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) supplementation as rumen-buffering agents on rumen fermentation and milk production. The first factor was two ratios of roughage to concentrate (R : C) at 60 : 40 and 40 : 60, whereas the second was two sources of buffering agent (BAFLOP and NaHCO3) supplemented at 20 g/kg of dry matter intake. All cows were fed total dry matter intake at 25 g/kg bodyweight and untreated rice straw was used as a roughage source. Feeding R : C at 40 : 60 increased nutrient digestibilities, nitrogen absorption, allantoin excretion and absorption, microbial nitrogen synthesis, microbial crude protein and efficiency of microbial nitrogen synthesis in both BAFLOP- and NaHCO3-supplemented groups. BAFLOP supplementation could maintain ruminal pH as NaHCO3. Blood urea nitrogen, total volatile fatty acid and propionate, and milk yield increased in cows fed R : C at 40 : 60 both in BAFLOP and NaHCO3 supplementation, whereas acetate was relatively high in cows consuming R : C at 60 : 40. However, rumen microorganisms were similar among treatments whereas milk compositions were unchanged by the dietary treatments, except milk fat and total solids were the highest in cow consumed R : C at 60 : 40. The results suggested that feeding R : C at 40 : 60 resulted in improvement of nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation efficiency and milk production, and supplementation of BAFLOP showed similar buffering capacity as NaHCO3. Therefore, BAFLOP could be used efficiently as a dietary rumen-buffering agent and promisingly deserves a replacement for bicarbonate sources in lactating dairy cows fed on a high concentrate diet.

Improvement of Nutritive Value and In vitro Ruminal Fermentation of Leucaena Silage by Molasses and Urea Supplementation

Leucaena silage was supplemented with different levels of molasses and urea to study its nutritive value and in vitro rumen fermentation efficiency. The ensiling study was randomly assigned according to a 3×3 factorial arrangement in which the first factor was molasses (M) supplement at 0%, 1%, and 2% of crop dry matter (DM) and the second was urea (U) supplement as 0%, 0.5%, and 1% of the crop DM, respectively. After 28 days of ensiling, the silage samples were collected and analyzed for chemical composition. All the nine Leucaena silages were kept for study of rumen fermentation efficiency using in vitro gas production techniques. The present result shows that supplementation of U or M did not affect DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber content in the silage. However, increasing level of U supplementation increased crude protein content while M level did not show any effect. Moreover, the combination of U and M supplement decreased the content of mimosine concentration especially with M2U1 (molasses 2% and urea 1%) silage. The result of the in vitro study shows that gas production kinetics, cumulation gas at 96 h and in vitro true digestibility increased with the increasing level of U and M supplementation especially in the combination treatments. Supplementation of M and U resulted in increasing propionic acid and total volatile fatty acid whereas, acetic acid, butyric acid concentrations and methane production were not changed. In addition, increasing U level supplementation increased NH3-N concentration. Result from real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a significant effect on total bacteria, whereas F. succinogenes and R. flavefaciens population while R. albus was not affected by the M and U supplementation. Based on this study, it could be concluded that M and urea U supplementation could improve the nutritive value of Leucaena silage and enhance in vitro rumen fermentation efficiency. This study also suggested that the combination use of M and U supplementation level was at 2% and 1%, respectively.

Using krabok (Irvingia malayana) seed oil and Flemingia macrophylla leaf meal as a rumen enhancer in an in vitro gas production system

An in vitro gas production system was conducted to investigate the effect of krabok (Irvingia malayana) seed oil (KSO) and Flemingia (Flemingia macrophylla) leaf powder (FLM) supplementation on gas production kinetics, volatile fatty acid (VFA) and methane production with different ratios of rice straw to cassava chip (RS : CC). The treatments were arranged according to a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomised design using four different ratios of RS : CC (100 : 0; 60 : 40; 20 : 80; and 0 : 100), two levels of KSO supplement (0% and 2.5% of total dietary substrate) and two levels of FLM supplement (0% and 2.5% of total dietary substrate). The gas production kinetics were affected by RS : CC, KSO and FLM supplementation (P < 0.05). However, there was no interaction between RS : CC*FLM, FLM*KSO, or RS : CC*FLM*KSO; with the exception of RS : CC*KSO (P < 0.05). Cumulative gas at 96 h post incubation was increased with increasing RS : CC especially at 0 : 100. However, KSO supplementation suppressed gas production whereas FLM could enhance gas production from feed fraction (P < 0.05). Increasing RS : CC ratio resulted in increasing total VFA, propionic acid and butyric acid whereas acetic acid concentration was reduced; therefore, ratio of acetic acid : propionic acid was reduced. However, KSO supplementation depressed VFA production whereas the FLM supplement had no effect. The methane production was reduced with increasing level of RS : CC especially with supplementation of KSO. Based on this study, it is concluded that KSO addition could reduce methane production whereas FLM could enhance the gas production and fermentation end products; hence, the combined use is potentially beneficial. However, further research under in vivo conditions should be conducted.

Improvement of nutritive value of cassava pulp and in vitro fermentation and microbial population by urea and molasses supplementation

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effect of urea (U) and molasses (M) supplement on the nutritive value of cassava pulp and in vitro gas fermentation. The ensiling study was randomly assigned according to a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. The first factor was U supplementation at U0, U2, U4, and U6% and the second was M supplementation at M0, M2, M4, and M6% of dry matter, respectively. After 14 days of ensiling, treated cassava pulp was sampled for chemical composition analysis and subsequently used to study in vitro fermentation. The results revealed that increasing U supplement levels could increase crude protein and decrease fibre contents of treated cassava pulp (P < .05). Increasing U and M supplement levels increased gas production and in vitro true digestibility (P < .05). Total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens were increased in cassava pulp treated with U and M supplemented groups (P < .05). Based on this experiment, it could be concluded that U4 and M4% supplement could improve the nutritive value of treated cassava pulp and increase gas production, in vitro digestibility, and the growth of dominant cellulolytic bacterial population. However, further research should be conducted on the use of treated cassava pulp in ruminant feeding.

Feeding tropical dairy cattle with local protein and energy sources for sustainable production

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high protein feed (Hipro-feed) formulated with carbohydrate source in concentrate mixture on feed intake, rumen fermentation, and milk performance of lactating cows fed Ruzi grass. Sixty cross-bred dairy cows (75% Holstein–Friesian and 25% Thai cows) in mid-lactation, 390 ± 50.0 kg body weight, 85 ± 5 days in milk with daily milk production of 10 ± 2.0 kg/day, were selected from 15 smallholder dairy farms and assigned according to a randomized complete block design. Four cows per farm were subjected to two groups to receive dietary treatments: Formulation I = control formula used by farmers and Formulation II = Mixed carbohydrate source + Hipro-feed (48% crude protein). The results showed that cows that received Formulation II had higher total feed intake and nutrient digestibility (P < .05). However, ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, and propionic acid were increased in cows that consumed Formulation II, while acetic acid and butyric acid, ruminal pH, temperature, and blood urea nitrogen were similar between groups. Milk yield and economic return were increased in cows receiving Formulation II. In conclusion, Hipro-feed could usefully be incorporated with carbohydrate source in concentrate formulation for the improvement of diary performance of smallholder dairy farming in the northeastern region of Thailand.

Effect of inclusion of different levels of Leucaena silage on rumen microbial population and microbial protein synthesis in dairy steers fed on rice straw

Objective Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena) is a perennial tropical legume that can be directly grazed or harvested and offered to ruminants as hay, silage, or fresh. However, Leucaena contain phenolic compounds, which are considered anti-nutritional factors as these may reduce intake, digestibility and thus animal performance. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to determine effects of Leucaena silage (LS) feeding levels on rumen microbial populations, N-balance and microbial protein synthesis in dairy steers. Methods Four, rumen fistulated dairy steers with initial weight of 167±12 kg were randomly assigned to receive dietary treatments according to a 4×4 Latin square design. Treatments were as followings: T1 = untreated rice straw (RS; Control), T2 = 70% RS+30% LS, T3 = 40% RS+60% LS, and T4 = 100% LS. Dairy steers were fed rice straw and LS ad libitum and supplemented with concentrate at 0.2% of body weight/d. Results Results revealed that the rumen microbial population, especially cellulolytic, proteolytic bacteria and fungal zoospores were enhanced in steers that received 60% of LS (p<0.05), whereas the amylolytic bacteria population was not affected by treatments (p>0.05). Protozoal population was linearly decreased with increasing level of LS (p<0.05). Moreover, N-balance and microbial protein synthesis were enhanced by LS feeding (p<0.05) and were the highest in 60% LS group. Conclusion Based on this study, it could be concluded that replacement of RS with 60% LS significantly improved microbial population and microbial protein synthesis in diary steers.