Abstract
The nutritive value of five lots of rapeseed meal (RSM) from Brassica campestris or B. napus with different levels of glucosinolates (GL) was investigated in a digestibility and balance trial with a 5 x 5 Latin square design and in a growth trial with 140 growing-finishing pigs. The RSM’s were prepared from the cultivars: Span-Torch, Sigga, Gulliver and Topas, and a heat-treated RSM was also studied, their total GL contents (µmol/g defatted meal) being 42, 11, 98, 27 and 8, respectively. Cv. Sigga had yellow hulls and a lower ADF content than the other cultivars. The hat-treated RSM had a reduced lysine content. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences in organic matter or crude protein digestibilities between the RSM’s with different GL levels or the RSM’s prepared from B. campestris and B. napus, when RSM was used as the only protein supplement at a level of 20—25 % in a barley-based diet. Heat treatment reduced the organic matter and crude protein digestibilities (P < 0.01). Nitrogen retention and protein utilization were lower (P < 0.01) on the diet supplemented with heat-treated RSM than on the diets with the other RSM’s but otherwise there were no significant differences between them (P > 0.05). In the growth trial supplementation with HGL-RSM Gulliver (14 % in diet) caused some palatability problems and this led to reduced performance (P < 0.05), but there were no differences between the other groups receiving 14—15 % RSM and the SBM control group (P > 0.05). The carcass quality was similar in all the groups. The weight of the thyroid gland was higher in the pigs receiving RSM than in the SBM controls, by 6—57 % (P < 0.05). In the present study a fairly high RSM supplements from cultivars with a moderate high GL content could be used in the diet of growing pigs without impairing their performance, when the diet was formulated on the basis of the digestible nutrients of RSM. Heat-treated RSM, with protein of low rumen degradability, is of poor value in pig feeding due to the low digestibility and availability of its protein.
Highlights
In Finland, production of rapeseed is one of the most readily available means of increasing the domestic supply of protein of high biological value for animal feeding
Meals prepared from rapeseed varieties with low or medium contents of glucosinolates are finding increased acceptance as a protein source in pig diets and are being used as a replacement for soybean meal (SBM) (Alaviuhkola 1981, Salo 1982, Thomke et al 1983, Thomke 1984)
Some studies have shown that Rapeseed meal (RSM) maytotally or partially replace SBM in growing-finishing pig diets without adverse effects of performance, while other studies have shown that complete or partial substitution of RSM for SBM affects pig performance adversely (Rundgren 1983)
Summary
In Finland, production of rapeseed is one of the most readily available means of increasing the domestic supply of protein of high biological value for animal feeding. Heat-treated RSM, with protein of low rumen degradability, is of poor value in pig feeding due to the low digestibility and availability of its protein. Index words: Rapeseed meal, glucosinolates, protein supplement, pig feeding, digestibility.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
