Nutritive Value of Range Frankenia hirsuta as Fodder Resource for Ruminant

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the nutritive value of Range, Frankenia hirsuta via proximate analyses and rumen degradation of dry matter. Methods: Samples of chemical component and disappearance of dry matter (DM) of range plant were collected in three different growth stages (i.e. vegetative, flowering and seed production) of Incheh-borun salty pastures in Golestan province (northeast of Iran). The chemical composition of feed was determined using AOAC method. The rumen degradation of dry matter was evaluated in this study using the nylon bag technique with four cannulated Zel rams (1 yr old). Results: Results showed that the mean estimates for crude protein (CP), digestible DM and ether extract (EE) of the vegetative stage are higher (P≤0.05) than the two other stages. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and Ash of seed production stage was higher (P≤0.05) than the vegetative stage. DM disappearance after 8, 48 and 72 h of incubation of vegetative stage was higher (P≤0.05) than the two other stages. The maximum DM disappearance was recorded after 48 h (P≤0.05) incubation in all three phonological stages. The effective degradability (ED) of DM decreased with increase in outflow rates and the maximum ED in three outflow rates was recorded in vegetative stage. Conclusions: The findings of this study showed that the biomass at the vegetative stage had higher nutritional values and DM disappearance than the other two stages. The information thus provided by this study could be useful in the planning of ruminant diets particularly in the salty pastures.