ISSN:
1572-9680
Keywords:
legume trees
;
ruminants
;
tropics
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Abstract Four Pelibuey sheep fitted with flexible rumen cannula were fed increasing levels of Gliricidia sepium foliage (gliricidia) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were: control, 10, 20 and 30% (dry basis) of gliricidia mixed in a basal diet of Cynodon nlemfuensis (stargrass) hay. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) intakes were linearly increased (P 〈 0.05) from 45.2, 40.4, 2.0 to 71.5, 63.3 and 6.8 g/kg W0.75/d, for the control and the 30% gliricidia diet, respectively. Similarly, increments of gliricidia in the diet resulted in a linear increase in DM, OM and CP apparent disgestibilities from 43.7, 48.4 and 27.0 to 50.7, 54.7 and 57.3%, for the control and 30% gliricidia diet, respectively. There was no effect (P 〉 0.05) of supplementation with gliricidia on rumen dry matter digestion of stargrass. Microbial nitrogen (N) supply to the small intestine had a trend towards an increase from 4.9, for the control, to 9.6 g N/d, for the 30% diet, though it was not significant (P 〉 0.05). It is concluded that, gliricidia might be incorporated into low quality diets since it increases total DM intake, supplies highly degradable N to the rumen and appears to increase the microbial N supply to the small intestine of sheep.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005954629020
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