Effects of polymer-coated slow-release urea on performance, ruminal fermentation, and blood metabolites in dairy cows

Gustavo Delfino Calomeni,Beatriz Conte Venturelli,José Esler De Freitas Júnior,Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini,Heraldo Namorato De Souza,Francisco Palma Rennó,Rodrigo Gardinal,Caio Seiti Takiya

doi:10.1590/s1806-92902015000900004

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of feeding polymer-coated slow-release urea on nutrient intake and total tract digestion, milk yield and composition, nutrient balances, ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and blood parameters in dairy cows. Sixteen Holstein cows (580±20 kg of live weight (mean ± standard deviation); 90 to 180 days in milk (DIM); and 28 kg/d of average milk yield) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design. The animals were assigned to each square according to milk yield and DIM. The animals were randomly allocated to receive one of the following experimental diets: 1) control (without urea addition); urea (addition of 1% on the diet DM basis); polymer-coated slow release urea 1 (addition of 1% on the diet DM basis); and polymer-coated slow release urea 2 (addition of 1% on the diet DM basis). All diets contained corn silage as forage source and a 50:50 forage:concentrate ratio. Milk and protein yield, production of volatile fatty acids, and propionate decreased when cows were fed diets containing urea. Addition of urea decreased nitrogen efficiency and nitrogen excreted in the feces. However, the diets did not change the cows' microbial protein synthesis, ruminal pH, or ammonia concentration. The inclusion of urea in cow diets decreases milk and protein yield due to lower production of volatile fatty acids. No advantages are observed with supplementation of polymer-coated slow-release urea when compared with feed-grade urea.

Highlights

Non-protein nitrogen (NPN) is not presented as assembled amino acids forming peptides, but bacteria can use NPN and carbohydrates to produce high-quality protein
4 Bolsista de Produtividade em Pesquisa do CNPq – Nível 1C. The objective of this experiment was to quantify the effects of feeding polymer-coated slow-release urea on nutrient intake and total tract digestion, milk yield and composition, nutrient balances, ruminal fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and blood parameters in dairy cows
During the past 40 years, several technologies have been developed to synchronize the rate of NPN release with the degradation rate of carbohydrates in the rumen to maximize the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis

Summary

Introduction

Non-protein nitrogen (NPN) is not presented as assembled amino acids forming peptides, but bacteria can use NPN and carbohydrates to produce high-quality protein. Compounds with slow release of NPN developed previously, such as biuret (Löest et al, 2001), starea (Bartley and Deyoe, 1975), urea-formaldehyde (Prokop and Klopfenstein, 1977), and urea covered by linseed oil (Forero et al, 1980) did not present the same advantages as urea when used in ruminant nutrition. This fact was probably due to a large portion of NPN by these compounds bypassing the rumen without being converted into ammonia, reducing microbial protein synthesis

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Methods

Conclusion