Improving Nutritive Value of Tropical Forages using Various Alkaline Treatments

• Main Author: Noviandi, Cuk Tri
• Format: Article PeerReviewed
• Language: English
• Published: Faculty of Animal Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada 2014
• Subjects: Animal Production
• Online Access: https://repository.ugm.ac.id/274353/1/Noviandi%20%28AAAP%202014%29%20new.pdf; https://repository.ugm.ac.id/274353/
• Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada

This research was aimed to improve the nutritive value and in vitro digestibility of 8 tropical forages. Four alkaline treatments[without treatment, ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH),sodium hydroxide (NaOH), or urea] were applied to 5 tropical legumes (Albizia lebbek, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Leucaena leucocephala × L. pallida (cv. KX2),and Tipuana tipu) and 3 tropical grasses (Panicum maximum,Setaria sphacelata, and Hordeum sp. straw) in a 8×4 factorial design. About 250 g chopped fresh or air-dry (55°C)forages were placed in air-tight double-layered polyethylene bags. The NH4OH and urea treatments were applied at concentrations which equivalent amounts of N at 4% of DM sample, while the NaOH treatment was 3% of DM of sample. All samples were incubated at 21°C for 14 days. To determine the digestibility of forages, all treated samples were incubated for 48 h in a two-stage in vitro system. The NH4OH and urea treatments increased CP concentration of legumes by 4.9 and 12.1% units, and of grasses by 5.4 and 12.1% units, (p<0.05), while no effects on CP concentration was detected due to NaOH treatments. Although alkaline treatments decreased NDF concentration of grasses and increased that of legumes (p<0.05), there were no effects on the in vitro digestibility.