Abstract

Simple SummaryUsing a native barley straw as reference, the barley straw from four improved varieties were tested on digestibility and performance in lambs. Differences were observed on feed intake, digestibility, body weight gain and feed-to-gain ratio among lambs fed straws from different barley varieties, pointing to the importance of genetic variation in the feeding value of barley straw.Twenty lambs (18 ± 0.22 kg initial weight) were blocked by weight and individually assigned into pens to evaluate the effects of barley straw variety on digestibility, growth performance and carcass characteristics. The following four treatments were tested: (1) a local barley straw (as control), (2) HB1963 (high grain and straw yields), (3) Traveller (high straw yielder), and (4) IBON174/03 (high grain yielder). A concentrate (50:50 wheat bran and noug seed cake) was offered constantly (300 DM g), whereas the straw was offered ad libitum. The digestibility trial lasted 22 days (15 days to adapt to dietary treatments and 7 days for sampling). The growth performance trial lasted 90 days. At the end, all of the lambs were slaughtered, and their carcasses were evaluated. The IBON174/03 variety had a higher (p < 0.05) intake of organic matter and crude protein, a higher dry matter and organic matter digestibility than the control, and a faster growth than the control. The feed-to-gain ratio was similar among treatments. The slaughter and empty body weights of lambs in the IBON174/03 group were higher than the control variety (p < 0.05). The present study showed that the feeding value of barley straw can differ substantially between varieties and therefore must be considered in the choice of a barley variety.

Highlights

  • Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a multiple-purpose crop with high economic and social importance

  • Varietal differences in the chemical composition and feeding value of crop residues have been reported in wheat, rice, sorghum and maize [11]

  • Three improved varieties were initially selected from 40 food and malt barley varieties that had been evaluated at Kofele and Bekoji, Ethiopia, under the National

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Summary

Introduction

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a multiple-purpose crop with high economic and social importance. The breeding and selection of barley has been focusing on the optimization of grain production, without due consideration of the yield and quality of straw as livestock feed. The authors of [10] reported that straw has become an important part of total crop value. The contribution of genetic as opposed to non-genetic factors to grain and fodder yields and to straw digestibility varies between crop species and between the varieties within a crop species. Varietal differences in the chemical composition and feeding value of crop residues have been reported in wheat, rice, sorghum and maize [11]. The authors of [6,13,14,15] found a varietal variation in the intake and nutrient digestibility of barley straw when it was fed to sheep. The effects of variety on the performance of straw-fed animals still need to be determined

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