Crude Protein Production Research Articles

Effects of Different Concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus licheniformis on Silage Quality, In Vitro Fermentation and Microbial Community of Hybrid Pennisetum.

Simple SummaryIn our study, we reported the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the quality of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) silage. The results of this experiment have a certain reference value for the silage production of hybrid Pennisetum and the use of the two additives.The purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of different concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the quality of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) silage. The experiment consisted of five treatment groups. The control group did not use additives, and the experimental groups were added with LP or BL of 1 × 105 cfu/g fresh weight (FW) and 1 × 107 cfu/g FW, respectively. The results showed that LP and BL could increase the in vitro fermentation gas production and reduce the ammonia nitrogen (AN) content in HP silage. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), lactic acid (LA) content, and gas production in the LP group were positively correlated with LP addition, and acetic acid (AA) was negatively correlated with addition. The content of WSC and LA in the LP7 group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and AA was lower than that in the control group (p > 0.05). Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and gas production were negatively correlated with the addition of BL, while acid detergent fiber (ADF) content was positively correlated with the addition of BL. Furthermore, in the above indicators, the BL5 group reached a significant level with the control group (p < 0.05). The results of 16sRNA showed that the use of LP and BL could increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and decrease the relative abundance of Weissella in HP silage compared with the control group. In conclusion, LP and BL can significantly improve the quality of HP silage. The LP7 group and the BL5 group have the best silage effect. From the perspective of gas production in in vitro fermentation, the LP7 group had stronger fermentability and higher nutritional value.

Optimizing crude protein production from minute duckweed (Lemna perpusilla Torr) grown in varied NPK based medium

A suitable growth medium has to be developed to implement the potential use of minute duckweed (L. perpusilla Torr.). This tiny floating aquatic plant has been widely promoted as a source of protein. This research aims to find the optimal NPK based media for enhancing plant protein productivity. The duckweed was grown in twelve various NPK based media formulations (respectively named as Box-A to box-L, each has a surface area of 0.0945 m2), and the crude protein productivity was examined. Determination of crude protein through the total biomass nitrogen (TN) analysis was performed using the modified Salicylic acid method, which combined alkaline persulphate digestion before the absorbance measurement with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The highest crude protein productivity in dry weight was 18.02 mg/m2.day or estimated equal to 65.76 kg/ha/year found on the Box D (consisted of blending Terminalia catappa leaf extract as bioalgacide agent and trace elements in NPK of 100 mg/L). Meanwhile, the highest Total Nitrogen removal (98.6%) was observed on box F (mixed of NPK 100 mg/L, Terminalia catappa leaf extract, trace elements, and molasses solutions). The alternative formulation was blending NPK 300 mg/L with trace element (box L) that enable to yield of crude protein as much as 30.97 mg/m2.day or estimated equal to 113.04 kg/ha.year. These findings proved that duckweed biomass could be potentially used as a protein source material and improve water quality in aquaculture. Further, the use of three-dimensional models to demonstrate the effect of the remaining concentration of TN and TP in medium against crude protein content in the biomass was also discussed.

Forage Production and Quality of BRS Capiaçu as a Response of Cutting Age and Nitrogen Application

Capiaçu is a cultivar of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.), which is a promising species for use in ruminant feed and presents a high potential for biomass production. However, as this grass became subjected to different management strategies, fluctuations in biomass production were observed, reflecting on its nutritive value. The objective was to verify the effect of cutting age and nitrogen (N) application on the productivity and nutritional value of BRS Capiaçu. A randomized block design was used in a 3 × 3 factorial scheme: three cutting ages (60, 90, and 120 days) and three levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 100, and 200 kg N/ha/year). The variables evaluated were: productivity and chemical composition of the leaf, stem, and whole plant fractions, besides the production of nutrients and efficiency of utilization of applied nitrogen (EUAN). There were interaction effects between cutting ages and N application on dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin production. Plants cut every 120 days and fertilized with 100 or 200 kg N/ha had the highest annual DM production. Nitrogen fertilization was efficient in increasing the percentage of leaves and the production of CP and DM digestibility of the grass. The highest CP production (in kg/ha/year) was observed for the 60- and 90-days old grass fertilized with 200 kg of N/ha/year. Grasses that were cut every 90 days and that received nitrogen fertilization of 100 kg N/ha/year were the ones that presented the highest EUAN. The cutting at 90 days of age, associated with N fertilization of 100 kg N/ha/year, is the best strategy for BRS Capiaçu.

The Effect of Adding Various Levels of Bokashi from Gliricidia Leaves and Goat Faeces on the Growth, Production and Chemical Composition of Arbila’s (Phaseolus lunatusL.) Forage

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding various levels of bokashi from gliricidia leaves and goat faeces on the growth, production and chemical composition of arbila's forage, has been carried out for 5 months, was designed with completely randomized, 4 treatments with 5 replications, consisting of P0: without bokashi, P5: 5 tons bokashi/ha, P10: 10 tons bokashi/ha, and P15: 15 tons bokashi/ha. Variables measured were number of root nodules, percentage of effective nodules, nitrogen uptake, stem diameter, increase in number of leaves, stem and leaf ratio, forage production (fresh, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP), and chemical composition. Data were analyzed by variance analysis and followed by Duncan&amp;#39;s test. Result of the research, the treatment had a very significant effect (P&amp;lt;0.01) on the increase number of leaves, OM dan CP forage productions. Futhermore, had a significant effect (P&amp;lt;0.05) on the number of root nodules, nitrogen uptake, stem diameter, fresh and DM forage productions, content of DM, OM, CP, crude fiber (CF), nitrogen free extract (NFE), and ash, but did not affect on percentage of effective nodules, stem and leaf ratio, and extract ether (EE) content of forage. Duncan&amp;#39;s test showed that the P15 produced the highest number of root nodules, N uptake, leaf growth, fresh, DM, OM and CP production, and the content of OM, CP, NFE in arbila's forage. It was concluded that this bokashi can improve the growth, production and chemical composition of arbila's forage and the best level is 15 tons bokashi/ha.

Growth and Biomass Production of Double Cropping Elephantgrass Odot Variety with Inserts of Bisi-16 Maize Plant at Different Planting Density

Elephantgrass of the odot variety has a fast harvest period and is able to regrow quickly after defoliation. Bisi-16 maize variety has high production of biomass, crude protein and digestibility of feed. The experimental plots were arranged in a block design of latin square method at 4 treatments of planting density and 4 replications for each planting density. The planting density used for the elephantgrass variety of odot were high density (H), namely H1 = 25 cm x 25 cm (16 plants/m2 without inserting maize) as a control, and H2 = 25 cm x 25 cm (16 plants/m2) with a maize plant insert of 64 plants, Middle density (M) = 25 cm x 50 cm (8 plants/m2) with a maize plant insert of 80 plants, and Low density (L) = 50 cm x 50 cm (4 plants/m2) with a maize plant insert of 100 plants. The insertion of maize plants is 1 plant for every 10 cm of density. Both elephant grass and maize will be harvested at the age of 90 days after planting. Growth and biomass production of elephantgrass odot variety and bisi-16 maize variety increased with decreasing density and increasing insertion of maize plants from high, medium and low density. Double cropping between elephantgrass variety of Odot and maize variety of bisi-16 became an excellent blend of plants in producing forage beef cattle. Low density (50 cm x 50 cm) on elephantgrass variety of odot with insertion of 100 maize plants (1 cm/1 maize seedling) resulted in a high stocking rate as sustainable beef cattle feed.

POTENSI LIMBAH PERTANIAN TANAMAN PANGAN SEBAGAI PAKAN TERNAK RUMINANSIA DI KECAMATAN SERAM UTARA TIMUR SETI

This research aims was to determined the types of crop by-product in Seram Utara Timur District and to determined the production of dry matter, crude protein and total digestible nutrients in North East Seti Seram District. Observation and direct measurement of food crop agricultural waste in the three sample villages selected using the purposive sampling method based on the largest number of livestock. The results showed that the types of food crop agricultural waste found in Seram Utara Timur seti sub-district were as follows: rice straw (Oryza sativa L) 96.88%, cassava straw (Manihot esculenta crantz) 1.55% and rice straw (Zea mys), 0.82%. The total agricultural waste of food crops based on dry matter was 11,036.42 tons/ha, crude protein 802.22 tons/ha and total digestible nutrients 6,741.07 tons/ha, and the highest production was in rice straw. The potential of food crop agricultural waste in North Seram District, Timut Seti is quite abundant, it is hoped that beef cattle breeders can utilize food crop agricultural waste as ruminant animal feed.

Investigation of the effectiveness of tomato pulp on the in vitro fermentation of working horse diets

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of dried tomato pulp, as a soluble dietary fibre source, using [0 (control group), 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0% (experimental groups) as dry matter-DM] in horse total mixed ration (TMR) on the in vitro fermentation parameters. The in vitro total gas production (TGP), methane emission, gas yield (GY24), metabolic energy (ME), in vitro true dry matter disappearance (T-DMd), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) molarities, partial factor (PF24), microbial crude protein production (MCP), and pH value at 24 h of fermentation in horse TMR’s were determined. In the study, in vitro TGP, GY24, PF24, ME, MCP, SCFA, and methane emission of horse TMR’s were not changed by 2.5 and 5.0% tomato pulp supplementation (P > 0.05). The in vitro TGP (73.6 vs. 85.6 and 105.9 mL/g DM), GY24 (189.4 vs. 210.8 and 286.3 mL for g T-DMd), PF24 (5.9 vs. 5.2 and 4.2 mg/mL for GY24) ME (5.3 vs. 5.6 and 6.1 MJ/kg DM), MCP (270.1 vs. 258.2 and 215.1 mg/g DM), SCFA (0.32 vs. 0.37 and 0.46 mmol/0.2 g), and methane emission (0.28 vs. 0.33 and 0.48 ml/g DM) of horse TMR’s positively affected by 10 and 20% tomato pulp supplementation (P < 0.05). The in vitro T-DMd values of TMRs and pH value of in vitro digestion fluid were similar for both control and experimental groups (P > 0.05). As a result, it was demonstrated that tomato pulp, which uses as dietary fibre and CP source, did not affect negatively the digestion values of the working horse diet. However, it has been considered that tomato pulp using at 10 and 20% ratios increased the in vitro digestion values of the working horse diet. Determining the in vitro digestion levels of tomato pulp, which is a source of soluble dietary fibre, for horses will guide future in vitro and in vivo studies.

Meta-analysis of the response of elephant grass and panicum grass to nitrogen fertilization

Nitrogen fertilization is an efficient practice to improve pasture productivity and quality. However, the efficiency of Nitrogen (N) application depends on favorable climatic conditions. Thus, in the present work, a metanalytic study was used to summarize and analyze data on nitrogen fertilization in forage species: elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and panicum grass [Megathyrsus maximus (Syn. Panicum maximum)], in order to determine the critical levels and recommended doses of nutrients for the rational use of fertilizers in forage plants, whether in pastures or weeds. Therefore, in this study, a systematic review was used, which is a type of investigation, for which research works carried out in Brazil between 2010 and 2020 were considered, including only scientific articles and dissertations. Based on the data from these studies, the relative increments of dry matter and crude protein in relation to the control treatment and the efficiency of nitrogen use in the production of dry matter and crude protein were calculated. All data collected were submitted to analysis of variance for linear and quadratic effects on each of the variables and, in case of significance, regression analysis was performed. Nitrogen fertilization in Pennisetum purpureum and Megathyrsus maximus provides consistent increases in dry matter and crude protein production, however above 1000 kg of nitrogen ha-1 there is a compromise in the efficiency of dry matter production. With a view to reducing losses due to the lower efficiency in crude protein production, it is important to verify that above 500 kg of nitrogen, there is a drastic reduction in the efficiency of crude protein production by Pennisetum purpureum. For all nitrogen doses, there is a drastic reduction in crude protein production efficiency by Megathyrsus maximus in relation to the control.

In vitro study on the effects of exogenic fibrolytic enzymes produced from Trichoderma longibrachiatum on ruminal degradation of olive mill waste.

Olive mill waste is low-quality feed and rarely used in ruminant nutrition because of its high lignocellulose content, the existence of anti-nutritional factors such as total polyphenol and condensed tannin, and low protein contents. This in vitro research was conducted to valorize this waste (crude olive cake, extracted olive cake, and olive leaves) using an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme produced from Trichoderma longibrachiatum in ruminal nutrition. The enzymatic activity of this additive was 1161 units of endoglucanase per millilitre, 113 units of exoglucanase per millilitre, and 2267 units of xylanases per millilitre. This treatment was applied by spraying substrates with four doses: 0 (control), 1 (low), 2 (medium), and 4 (high) of dry matter olive mill waste in an air-conditioned room at 26 for 12 h before in vitro incubation.For the crude olive cake, this additive at high doses increased degradation of 14 % of cellulose and 8 % of hemicellulose compared with the control at 12 h before the in vitro incubation. Consequently, it increased dry matter solubility and reduced sugars at this period compared to the control. Upon ruminal incubation, the high dose of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme increased the gas production from the immediately soluble fraction and insoluble fraction, the rate of gas production for the insoluble fraction, the dry matter degradability by 26 %, the organic matter degradability by 24 %, the metabolizable energy value by 28 %, and the microbial crude protein production by 24 % compared with the control. For olive leaves, an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme at medium dosage can also hydrolyse the hemicellulose compound, release fewer sugars, and increase dry matter solubility compared with the control at 12 h before the in vitro incubation.Upon in vitro incubation, the medium dose increased the gas production from immediately soluble and insoluble fractions, the rate of gas production for the insoluble fraction, the dry matter degradability by 13 %, the organic matter degradability by 11 %, the metabolizable energy value by 12 %, and the microbial crude protein production by 12 % compared with the control. However, the highest dose altered the gas production from insoluble fractions and decreased microbial crude protein production by 6 % compared with the control. Under the same conditions, an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme applied to extracted olive cake did not produce any effect in the chemical composition and nutritional value. These results showed clearly that effectiveness of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme varied with incubated waste. Increasing the nutritional value of crude olive cake and olive leaves using an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme can encourage breeders to use this waste as feed at a low cost in animal nutrition. This valorization of waste is a good solution to reduce pollution of soils and groundwater caused by throwing out this polluted waste into the environment.

Seed mixture of oats and common vetch on fertilizer and water-use reduction in a semi-arid alpine region

The overuse of synthetic fertilizers damages terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on the Tibetan plateau. We conducted this study to investigate the possibility of reducing fertilizer use by applying cereal-legume mixture planting in forage crops cultivation. A field experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018 at Jintai farm in the northeast of the Tibetan plateau. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four treatments: sole oat with nitrogen application rate of 120 kg ha−1, sole oat with a lower nitrogen rate of 60 kg ha−1, and oat and common vetch mixtures applied with those two nitrogen levels. Results showed that forage biomass production of oat-common vetch mixture was comparable or higher than that of corresponding sole oat under different nitrogen levels. Nitrogen uptake of the mixture was 19.6–81.7% higher than that of sole oat under high nitrogen fertilization and was 107.3–144.6% higher under low nitrogen. Biological nitrogen fixation of common vetch in mixture stands ranged from 11.1 to 59.1 kg ha−1. Nitrogen use efficiency in the mixture was lower than that in sole oat under both nitrogen levels. However, the partial factor productivity of applied nitrogen (PFPN) in the mixture was higher than that in sole oat. Mixture with low nitrogen application attained the highest PFPN of 102.8 and 150.6 kg kg−1 in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The mixture system depleted much more soil water storage than sole oat in both years. Water use efficiency based on biomass production in the sole and mixture systems were comparable. However, that based on crude protein production was far greater in the mixture system, and the advantage of the mixture under low nitrogen level was more significant compared to that under high nitrogen level. Therefore, we conclude that practicing cereal-legume mixture planting in forage production could improve nitrogen and water use efficiencies, maintain forage production and improve forage quality. We suggest applying the mixture planting system and reducing the amount of nitrogen application in forage production in the semi-arid farming area on the Tibetan Plateau and similar alpine regions worldwide.

Study of the influence of exogenous fibrolytic enzyme additive on chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and nutritional value of brewer's spent grain.

This study explores the influence of different doses of two exogenous fibrolytic enzyme (EFE) additives (liquid (EFE1: 1, 2, and 4 μΙ/g DM (dry matter)) and powder (EFE2: 1, 2, and 4 mg/g DM)) on the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and nutritional value of brewer's spent grain (BSG). The results indicate that EFE1 at low doses does not affect the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and the nutritional value of BSG. The medium dose EFE1 decreases the fiber compound but increases the nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC) and soluble dry matter. Also, this dose modified the fermentation of BSG by increasing the amount of gas and its fermentation rate and decreasing the time between the inoculation and start of fermentation. Therefore, it increases the digestibility, metabolizable energy, net energy‐lactation (NEL), total volatile fatty acids, and the microbial crude protein production of BSG. The high dose of EFE1 decreases the fiber compound and increases the nonfiber carbohydrates and soluble dry matter; however, it also decreases the potential of gas production and does not affect the nutritional value of BSG. For EFE2, all the doses do not modify the chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and the nutritional value of BSG. These results suggest that the effectiveness of EFE varied, depending on the type of EFE and dose. Increase in the nutritional value of BSG by EFE1 at the medium dose can encourage breeders to use these wastes as feed at low cost in cow nutrition.

PENGARUH UMUR PANEN YANG BERBEDA TERHADAP PRODUKSI DAN KANDUNGAN BAHAN KERING SERTA PROTEIN KASAR SORGHUM GREEN FODDER HYDROPONIC

Hydroponics is a forage cultivation technique that is suitable to be applied to overcome the constraints of climate dependence and land availability. Forage that is cultivated hydroponically is often called green fodder hydroponic. Sorghum is a plant that has the potential to be developed as a hydroponic green fodder because it grows well in tropical environments and is efficient in producing photosynthetic products. This study aims to determine the content and production of Dry Matter (DM) and Crude Protein (CP) sorghum green fodder hydroponic. The study was conducted experimentally with a completely randomized design. The collected data were analyzed using Duncan's Test. The treatments were harvesting ages of 7 days, 10 days and 13 days, then measured the production of fresh ingredients, DM content, DM production, CP content, and CP production. The results showed that the longer the age of harvest significantly (p&gt;0.05) increased the content of DM and CP but significantly (p&gt;0.05) decreased the production of fresh ingredients and the production of DM The results of CP production showed that the longer the age of harvest was not significant (p&lt;0.05). In conclusion, the long harvesting age of hydroponic sorghum green fodder causes an increase in the content of DM and CP, but decreases the production of fresh ingredients and the production of DM

POTENSI LIMBAH PERTANIAN TANAMAN PANGAN SEBAGAI PAKAN TERNAK ROMINASIA DI KECAMATAN WAELATAKABUPATEN BURU

Livestock is an important component to fulfil food need and as source of protein for the community which increase annually. These research objective was to determine the type of agricultural food crop waste, how much production of dry matter, crude protein, and Total Gigability Nutrit and also to find out how much the capacity of agricultural food crop waste in the Waelata District, Buru Regency. Feedstuff development is directed to optimize the use of local feed source, in particular crops waste. The results showed that crops waste available in Waelata were dominated respectively by rice (Oryza sativa L.) 92.17 %, sweet potato (Ipomoae batatas) 2.81 %, corn (zea mays ssp.) 1.89 %, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) 1.89 %, and cassava (manihot esculenta crantz) 1.12 %. Total dry matter production of the crops waste were rice (Oryza sativa L.) 2.52 tones/ha, sweet potato (Ipomoae batatas) 1.78 tone/ha, corn (zea mays ssp.) 0.63 tone/ha, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) 1.67 tones/ha, and cassava (manihot esculenta crantz) 0.41 tones/ha. Capacity of crops waste to support livestock systems based on dry matter, crude protein, Total Digestible Nutrient was respectivelly e.317 UT, 263 UT, and 3.134 UT.

On gastric evacuation characteristics and suitable feeding frequency of &amp;lt;italic&amp;gt;Centropristis striata&amp;lt;/italic&amp;gt;

The experiments were carried out on juvenile <italic>Centropristis striata</italic>.The gastric evacuation rate(GER) and effects of different feeding frequencies on growth, survival rate, feed coefficient, nutrient composition and enzyme activity were studied. Results showed that when the water temperature was 22 ℃, the wet weight of stomach content decreased significantly in 4 h, then decreased slowly, and finally reached 0.Three mathematical models, including linear model, exponential model and square root model, were used to fit the gastric evacuation rate. The square root model was more suitable for quantitative description of gastric evacuation curve. The equation was <italic>Y</italic>^0.5 = 2.050-0.084<italic>t</italic>.Under water temperature 22-26 ℃, groups of different feeding frequencies were set:F1 (1 time·d^-1), F2 (2 times·d^-1), F3 (3 times·d^-1) and F4 (4 times·d^-1) . After 8 weeks of experiment, the final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate and condition factor increased with the increasing feeding frequency, and there were significant differences between F1 and other groups (<italic>P</italic><0.05). With the increase of feeding frequency, feed coefficient initially decreased and then increased. The feed coefficient of F1 was the highest and that of F2 was the lowest, and there were significant differences between F1 and F2, as well as between F1,F2 and other groups (<italic>P</italic><0.05). With the increase of feeding frequency, water content, ash content, crude protein content, protein efficiency and protein production value of <italic>C</italic>. <italic>striata</italic> decreased, while crude fat showed an increasing trend, and differences among groups were significant (<italic>P</italic><0.05). There were significant differences in serum total protein between F1 and other groups (<italic>P</italic><0.05). There was no significant difference in albumin among groups (<italic>P</italic>>0.05); globulin of F2 was the highest; glucose and triglyceride content increased with the increase of feeding frequency; alanine aminotransferase content and aspartate aminotransferase content increased initially and then decreased with the increase of feeding frequency, and F3 was the highest. Considering the gastric evacuation rate, growth performance, feed coefficient, nutritional components and other indicators, under the experimental conditions, the suitable feeding frequency of juvenile <italic>Centropristis striata</italic> was F2 (2 times·d^-1), which could provide basis and reference for breeding production.

Pengaruh penggunaan pupuk daun “Organik” terhadap produktivitas dan kualitas rumput gajah (Pennisetum purpureum CV. Hawai) sebagai hijauan pakan

&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;Elephant grass is a forage that is commonly used as feed. The growth of elephant grass can be supported by applying appropriate fertilizers. The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate level of "organic" leaf fertilizer to obtain maximum production and quality.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Field experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 replication was used in this study. The treatments were P0 (control), P1 (5% "organic" leaf fertilizer), P2 (10% "organic" leaf fertilizer), and P3 (15% "organic" leaf fertilizer).&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The results of this study indicate that the treatment of different doses of "organic" leaf fertilizer had significant effect (P &amp;lt;0.01) on forage quality (dry matter, organic matter, crude fat, crude fiber and nitrogen free extract content) and also fresh, dry matter, and organic matter production of elephant grass. The treatment also had a significant effect (P &amp;lt;0.05) on crude protein levels and production of elephant grass.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Based on this study, the dosage of 15% “organic” foliar fertilizer showed the best results on increasing the quantity and quality of &lt;em&gt;Pennisetum purpureum&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Eco-efficiency of farms considering multiple functions of agriculture: Concept and results from Austrian farms

Besides producing food for humanity’s nutrition, agriculture also fulfills other functions such as providing a livelihood for farmers and preserving an attractive and biodiverse landscape. These functions of agriculture were considered in a novel eco-efficiency assessment concept applied to Austrian farms within this study. The joint application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate Austrian farms’ eco-efficiency. Data from 47 farms from different farm types (crop production, milk production, beef production, and wine production) were used to implement the concept. Cumulative exergy demand (CExD), global warming potential (GWP), normalized eutrophication potential (EP), and aquatic ecotoxicity potential (AE) were included as environmental impacts in an LCA and were consequently used as input values for the DEA. Considering multiple functions of agriculture, the farm net income (FNI), the net food production of crude protein and human-edible energy, and High Nature Value farmland (HNVf) were selected as output variables for the DEA. Results show that the purchase of resources causes a substantial share of environmental impacts, highlighting the importance of efficient utilization of on-farm resources. The results further revealed the use of high amounts of human-edible energy and protein as animal feed to cause lower eco-efficiency scores of livestock keeping farms (i.e., milk production and beef production). Overall, the eco-efficiency of farms depends on the fulfillment of different functions of agriculture, and individual strategies for improvement could be identified.

Effects of nonionic surfactant source and surface tension on in vitro fermentation characteristics of cereal straws

This study investigated the in vitro fermentation of three cereal straws (corn stover, wheat straw, and rice straw) with culture media containing two nonionic surfactants (alkyl polyglycoside and Tween 80) and variable surface tension (42, 48, and 54 mN/m) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. The in vitro dry matter degradation of rice straw and corn straw linearly (P < 0.05) decreased with increasing culture media surface tension. Ammoniacal nitrogen and microbial crude protein production were not influenced by nonionic surfactant sources or surface tension; however, the ammoniacal nitrogen concentration of wheat straw linearly (P = 0.01) increased with increasing culture media surface tension. Decreasing the surface tension linearly (P < 0.05) increased the microbial membrane permeability and the ratio of acetate to propionate in rice straw and corn stover. The molar proportion of propionate in rice straw (P = 0.03) and corn stover (P = 0.02) linearly decreased as surface tension decreased. This study highlights the potential of nonionic surfactants as feed additives, and their ability to modulate the surface tension of rumen fluid should be more carefully considered.

Intake, digestibility, and milk yield response in dairy buffaloes fed Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa supplemented with seeds of tropical açai palm.

The use of alternative tropical feeds, such as açai seeds, under tropical pasture production systems, may help to optimize buffalo milk production mainly in the Amazon region, which has the largest worldwide açai production. This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of açai palm seeds in the supplement on nutrient utilization and milk yield response of lactating buffaloes grazing Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa. The treatments comprised four levels of açai palm seeds (0, 198.4, 396.8, and 595.2 g/kg of dry matter) and a treatment without concentrate supplementation (WCS). Five half-breed Murrah female buffaloes with average body weight ± (SEM) of 577 ± (20.4) kg were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. There was no effect of the inclusion of açai palm seeds on the total dry matter and nutrient intakes (P>0.05). The digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, and total digestible nutrients showed a linear decreasing pattern (P<0.05), whereas the digestibility of crude protein demonstrated a quadratic pattern, as açai palm seed inclusion level increased (P<0.05). Milk production demonstrated a quadratic pattern as açai palm seed inclusion increased (P<0.05). There was no effect of açai palm seed inclusion on milk composition (P>0.05), except for fat (%), protein (%), and the concentration of total dry extract (P<0.05). There was no difference in nutrient intake and digestibility and milk performance, between supplemented and WCS animals (P>0.05). In conclusion, the inclusion of açai palm seeds at 198.4 g/kg DM in the supplement of grazing buffaloes improves the digestibility of crude protein and milk production, without detrimental effects on nutrient intake. Also, açai palm seeds may be a potential replacer of Panicum maximum cv. Mombasa under tropical conditions.

Optimization tifton-85 grass cutting for productivity and nutrient value

The objective of this work was to determine the impact of cutting Tifton-85 grass at 14, 28, 42, 46, 70, and 80 days of regrowth on its production and nutritional characteristics during the rainy season. The study area of 238 m2 was divided into four sub-area, with 6 plots of 2 × 2 m spaced 1 m between plots and 2 m between sub-area. Random block design was used. The statistical analyses were performed following a randomized block design. Results were obtained as means from evaluations conducted in two consecutive years. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) increased as the cutting age increased. However, crude protein, NDF nitrogen, ADF nitrogen and leaves/stem relationship decreased as the cutting age increased. The production of digestible dry matter increased linearly as the cutting age increased. Similarly, grass height, green matter and dry matter production (DMP) increased as the cutting age increased. The different cutting age did not influence the nitrogen A, B1 + B2, and B3 fractions of the grass. However, the C fraction increased as the cutting age increased. Longer intervals between cuts increased the grass productivity per cut, but compromised its nutritional composition and leaves/stem relationship. For Tifton -85, the regrowth age of 28 days allows greater production of dry matter and greater accumulated production of crude protein and digestive dry matter in the rainy season or over time.

Nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin does not affect yield-scaled nitrous oxide emissions in a tropical grassland

Urea is the most common nitrogen (N) fertilizer used in the tropics but it has the risk of high gaseous nitrogen (N) losses. Use of nitrification inhibitor has been suggested as a potential mitigation measure for gaseous N losses in N fertilizer-applied fields. In a field trial on a tropical Andosol pastureland in Costa Rica, gaseous emissions of ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and grass yield were quantified from plots treated with urea (U; 41.7 kg N ha–1 application–1) and urea plus the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin (U + NI; 41.7 kg N ha–1 application–1 and 350 g of nitrapyrin for each 100 kg of N applied) and control plots (without U and NI) over a six-month period (rainy season). Volatilization of NH3 (August to November) in U (7.4% ± 1.3% of N applied) and U + NI (8.1% ± 0.9% of N applied) were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Emissions of N2O in U and U + NI from June to November were significantly different (P < 0.05) only in October, when N2O emission in U + NI was higher than that in U. Yield and crude protein production of grass were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in U and U + NI than in the control plots, but they were not significantly different between U and U + NI. There was no significant difference in yield-scaled N2O emission between U (0.31 ± 0.10 g N kg–1 dry matter) and U + NI (0.47 ± 0.10 g N kg–1 dry matter). The results suggest that nitrapyrin is not a viable mitigation option for gaseous N losses under typical N fertilizer application practices of pasturelands at the study site.