Use of cultural remains and residues of pineapple industrialization in ruminant feed: Review

Abstract

Only 22.5% of the remaining pineapple is harvested, corresponding to the edible and to industry part, the remaining 4.5% constitute the fruit's bark and 73% the vegetative part (leaves, stem and crown), considered as cultural waste. These cultural residues can be used in the form of silage or hay, provide weight gain and / or increase in milk production, and minimize environmental costs and impacts in pineapple producing regions. The industrialization of tropical fruit trees has provided enormous leftovers of by-products, which in natura or benefited, may contribute an expressive share in the feeding of ruminants. The use of these by-products is a viable alternative with a high potential for use in ruminant feed, with daily gain in sheep of 0.231 kg using a 50% hay diet of pineapple residue + 50% Manihot pseudoglaziovii hay, and not altering performance of confined finishing cattle with replacement of 20 to 60% of corn silage by industrial pineapple residue silage. Concluding therefore that pineapple residues are a viable source of bulk for ruminants, however, research and information on the use of these alternative sources for animal feed is still limited. The present study aims to show the ways of using the cultural remains of pineapple in the feeding of ruminants.