In Vitro Nutrient Digestibility and Ruminal Fermentation Characteristics of Ammoniated and Fermented Treatment of Soaked and Unsoaked Cymbopogon nardus Waste

Abstract

Cymbopogon nardus waste has potential as an ingredient of cattle diet. C. nardus waste requires feed processing to increase ruminal fermentation characteristics. This study has aimed to discover the effect of fermentation and ammoniation treatment of soaked and unsoaked C. nardus on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and nutrient digestibility. Five experimental diets with four replications were evaluated in this study: Cymbopogon nardus (CNW) as control, unsoaked fermented CNW (FCNW1), soaked fermented CNW (FCNW2), unsoaked ammoniated CNW (ACNW1), and soaked ammoniated CNW (ACNW2). A randomized block design was used and followed by post hoc Tukey-HSD if there is a significant effect (P<0.05). The results showed that there was no significant effect (P>0.05) of soaked or unsoaked ammoniated and fermented CNW on in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic digestibility (OMD). Meanwhile, there was significant effect (P<0.05) on in vitro digestibility of crude protein (CPD), ADF (ADFD), NDF (ADFD), cellulose (CLD), and hemicellulose (HCLD). There was also no significant effect (P>0.05) of soaked or unsoaked ammoniated and fermented CNW on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics (pH, NH3, and total VFA level). In conclusion, soaked ammoniated of C. nardus waste has potential as cattle diet because it has high value of in vitro digestibility of crude protein (56.81%), ADF (47.67%), NDF (48.68%), cellulose (47.19%), and hemicellulose (50.52%).