EVALUATION OF BUCKWHEAT (Fagopyrum esculentum) IN DIETS OF GROWING PIGS

Abstract

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) was evaluated alone or with 25, 50, 75 or 100% replacement by wheat (W) or barley (B) in 16% protein diets fed to 72 crossbred pigs from 20 to 60 kg liveweight. Pigs were randomly alloted two per pen, within sex, and housed in confinement on partially slatted concrete floors. Daily feed consumption (1.89–2.27 kg/day), average daily gain (0.66–0.72 kg/day) and feed/gain (2.79–3.18) did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) between treatments. At 50% replacement of the buckwheat (BW) more feed (P < 0.05) was consumed (2.22 kg/day) than at 25 or 100% replacement levels (1.99 and 1.92 kg/day, respectively). More DE was consumed per kilogram of gain (DE/gain) (P < 0.05) by wheat-fed pigs than by barley-fed pigs (40.0 vs. 38.2 MJ DE/kg, respectively). The 50% substitution of either grain (42.1 MJ/kg) resulted in more DE/gain (P < 0.05) than observed on the BW only diet (37.1 MJ/kg). Two 4 × 4 latin square designs, with eight pigs initially weighing 40 kg, were used for determination of digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and gross energy (GE) in BW, W or B individually and in blends of BW and either W or B. Coefficients of digestibility for CP were 72.7%, 81.6% and 65.5% and for GE were 65.4%, 80.2% and 71.1% in BW, W and B, respectively. Blends of BW and W had digestibility coefficients for DM, CP and GE between the values determined for the grains individually but those determined for mixtures of BW and B were lower than expected based on coefficients determined for the grains individually. Buckwheat used contained 12% CP, 0.68% lysine, 12.3% acid detergent fiber on as fed basis and 9.6% digestible protein and 11.98 MJ of DE per kilogram dry matter. Key words: Buckwheat, pigs, digestibility, growth, mono-cereal diets