Abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive potential value of different aquatic plants: duckweed (Lemna trisulaca), duckweed (Lemna perpusila), azolla (Azolla pinnata) and water-hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) from Bangladesh. A wide variability in protein, mineral composition, gas production, microbial protein synthesis, rumen degradable nitrogen and in situ dry matter and crude protein degradability were recorded among species. Crude protein content ranged from 139 to 330 g/kg dry matter (DM). All species were relatively high in Ca, P, Na, content and very rich in K, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu and Zn concentration. The rate of gas production was highest in azolla and lowest in water-hyacinth. A similar trend was observed with in situ DM degradability. Crude protein degradability was highest in duckweed. Microbial protein formation at 24 h incubation ranged from 38.6-47.2 mg and in vitro rumen degradable nitrogen between 31.5 and 48.4%. Based on the present findings it is concluded that aquatic species have potential as supplementary diet to livestock.
Highlights
One of the major limiting factors to animal production in Bangladesh is nutrition
In vitro rumen degradability of nitrogen (RDN) In vitro rumen degradability of nitrogen was calculated from the linear regression of NH3-N concentration (y, mg) versus gas production (x, ml) observed on incubation of plant materials for different hours with and without exogenous energy source as described by Raab et al (1983)
Mineral concentration Aquatic plants grow in different types of fresh water and brackish waters (Vries and Wal, 1988)
Summary
One of the major limiting factors to animal production in Bangladesh is nutrition. The acute shortage of feeds and fodders has stimulated a lot of research aimed at utilizing unconventional feeds in animal ration. The work reported here was undertaken to study mineral composition, in vitro gas production and in situ nutrient degradability of some aquatic plants. Samples Aquatic plants viz. Lemna trisulaca, Lemna perpusila (duckweed), Azolla pinnata (azolla) and Eichhornia crassipes (water-hyacinth) were collected in the month of June, 2000 from the natural habitats located in and around the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.
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