Nutritive value of banana stalk ( Musa cavendishi) as a feed for sheep

Abstract

The stalk of banana plants ( Musa cavendishi) contained (in percent dry matter) crude protein, 7.2; ether extract, 1.8; crude fibre, 31.5; total ash, 21.4; neutral detergent fibre (NDF) 67.2. The fibre components were (in percent) acid detergent fibre (ADF), 45.3; hemicellulose, 21.9; cellulose, 35.9; lignin, 9.4. The percent tannin as tannic acid equivalent was 0.74. A feeding trial of 60 days duration was conducted with 16 ram lambs of nondescript origin. Banana stalk, replacing paragrass hay ( Brachiaria mutica) dry matter at 0, 20, 40 or 50% levels, was offered to 4 groups with 4 lambs in each group. Banana stalk did not have any adverse effect on the health of animals. However, the daily weight gain was low, ranging from 27 to 39 g only. The digestion coefficient of various nutrients and fibre fractions of banana stalk was determined in an in vivo digestion trial. The apparent digestion coefficient of crude protein was only 13.9, while that of cellulose was 82.7. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility were 55.9 and 52.6%, respectively, whereas digestion in vitro revealed a disappearance of 66.6% dry matter and 67.4% organic matter during the 48-h incubation.