Mathematical models applied to the optimisation of mixtures in the production of silage from coffee by-products

Marcelo Ribeiro Malta,Adauto Ferreira Barcelos,Larissa De Oliveira Fassio,Priscilla Magalhães De Lima,Marcelo Ângelo Cirillo

doi:10.5935/1806-6690.20170045

Abstract

The aim of this work was to propose a mathematical model to determine the best combination of the by-products of coffee processing in the production of silage. To this end, 13 treatments were evaluated, resulting from the combination of wet coffee husks (WCH) and dried coffee husks (DCH), both with and without the use of molasses (M) and with or without the use of the inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum (I). From these components, various mixtures were proposed and evaluated, using the technique of simultaneous optimisation of multiple response variables. Silages with the best characteristics were obtained from the use of 76.40% WCH, 18.77% DCH, 4.83% of M and 0.0001% I.

Highlights

Several alternatives have been proposed in the search for foods to complement cattle feeding during the dry season in much of Brazil, such as the use of by-products from agribusiness (COSTA et al, 2014; TEIXEIRA et al, 2007).For Silva et al (2006), the need to use agroindustrial residue that may be added to animal feed, being converted into protein of high biological value, has prompted a search for alternatives offering a greater integration of agriculture with livestock, and reducing production costs and impacts on the environment
It would seem appropriate to carry out an optimisation study that could provide the maximum of responses, in order to use such by-products more efficiently in animal feed
The treatments comprised wet coffee husks (WCH), which originated from the husking of the mature coffee fruit with no drying, i.e. the fresh fruit; dry coffee husks (DCH) - obtained from processing the coffee in coconut; with 5% molasses (M) or with no molasses; and with the inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum (I) at 0.0001% and with no inoculant

Summary

Introduction

For Silva et al (2006), the need to use agroindustrial residue that may be added to animal feed, being converted into protein of high biological value, has prompted a search for alternatives offering a greater integration of agriculture with livestock, and reducing production costs and impacts on the environment. On this basis, and according to several authors, the use of coffee husks, the residue from processing the coffee grain, shows great potential in the feeding of ruminants (BARCELOS et al, 2014; OLIVEIRA et al, 2007; PIRES et al, 2009). These authors note that the models can be valuable tools for estimating animal requirements and the nutrients derived from feeds that are present under specific conditions within a production system, thereby playing an important role in providing information that can be used in the decision-making process for improving production efficiency

Objectives

Methods

Results