Abstract
The ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of 9 sugarcane varieties ensiled 15 months after planting was evaluated, using 3 fistulated Holstein x Zebu cows and incubation periods of 0, 6, 12, 24, 72 and 96 h in a randomized complete block design. Dry matter, crude protein (CP), mineral matter (MM), NDF, pH and in-situ degradability levels were determined. There were significant differences in composition of all evaluated parameters in the silages, except for CP, with the following variations: DM (19.7–23.2%), CP (2.70–3.47%), MM (3.2–5.2%), NDF (67.6–73.8%) and pH (3.8–4.2). The DM fraction ‘a’ differed among sugarcane varieties, with SP 801816 presenting the highest soluble fraction (26.83%). Effective degradability (ED) of DM (32.7–40.9%) and degradation rate ‘c’ did not differ among varieties. The ED of NDF and fraction ‘a’ did not differ among silages, but there were significant differences in fraction ‘b’, with a variation from 36.4 to 41.2%. Highest NDF ED occurred for the varieties RB 835486 (22%) and SP 791011 (21.1%). Further studies with these two varieties with the addition of inoculants and additives at ensiling are needed along with feeding studies to determine animal performance data.
Highlights
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is grown in the tropical areas of Brazil, where it is processed into sugar and/or alcohol
Effective degradability of dry matter (DM) of all analyzed varieties ranged around 35.9%, indicating that the silage would be of limited value for feeding to livestock as the sole diet
The results of this study suggest that varieties SP 791011 and RB 835486 are more suitable for animal feed due to higher neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability
Summary
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is grown in the tropical areas of Brazil, where it is processed into sugar and/or alcohol. Because of its high growth rate, it is viewed as a forage source for cattle. Sugarcane has a high sugar fraction, which would support rapid microbial growth in the rumen, especially of bacteria, the microflora have a lesser capacity to degrade the potentially degradable fiber (Pereira et al 2001). The rapid breakdown and loss of soluble carbohydrate fractions in sugarcane silages cause a slight increase in cell-wall components relative to other forage fractions (Schmidt et al 2007b). The nylon bag technique has been adapted by researchers to estimate these losses. This technique has the advantages of speed, low cost and ease of execution
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