Digestion Of Fraction Research Articles

Fattening and slaughter qualities of lambs under conditions of use in their diets of feeds with different degrees of cleavage in the rumen of protein

Materials of scientific and experimental studies are indicated, which indicate certain differences in the formation of productive qualities of young Askani sheep of fine-wooled breed during intensive fattening when consuming rations consisting of feed where protein had different degrees of cleavage in the rumen. It was found that when using for feeding lambs II experimental group rations similar in amount of crude protein, but not the same in the level of digestibility of protein fractions (31% of undigested protein versus 23% in control of total concentration) increased by 5.7% of their mercury weight at the age of 6.5 months, when the animals reached slaughter condition. This difference is primarily due to the better biotransformation of feed nutrients (7.4 ECO / kg growth versus 8.0 ECO / kg control) and high growth rate, which was 12.9% higher in young sheep of experimental group II (201 g / goal / day against 178 g / goal / day in control).
 When correcting the consumption of protein fractions digestible in the rumen, the carcass quality was improved in experimental lambs, namely by 5.7% of carcass weight (20.3 kg vs. 19.2 kg in the control) and 0.6 abs. % Of carcass yield (47, 3% vs. 46.7% in control).
 Morphological evaluation of animal carcasses showed that the optimization of protein norms by the degree of its cleavage in the rumen contributed to an increase in young sheep of the II experimental group by 1.7 abs. % (74.4% vs. 72.7%) of muscle tissue yield due to decreased bone and tendon mass. In view of this, the sheep of this group was larger by 0.25 units. meat content ratio (2.91 units vs. 2.66 units in the control). , 44 kg vs. 9.52 kg in control) while improving its biological and nutritional value.

Combined modifications of CaO and liquid fraction of digestate for augmenting volatile fatty acids production from rice straw: Microbial and proteomics insights

The modification sequence of chemical (CaO) and biological (liquid fraction of digestate, LFD) for augmenting volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production from rice straw was investigated in this study. The coupling order of the modifiers influenced acidification performance, and simultaneous modification (CaO-LFD) was superior to other modes. The highest VFAs production was obtained in CaO-LFD, 51% higher than that in the LFD-first additional modification. The CaO-LFD demonstrated the highest selectivity of acetate production, accounting for 79% of the total VFAs. In addition, CaO-LFD modification changed the direction of the domestication of fermentative bacteria and increased populations of the key anaerobes (Atopostipes sp.) responsible for acidification. The synergistic effect of CaO and LFD was revealed, namely, the effective function of CaO in degrading recalcitrant rice straw, the promotion of transport/metabolism of carbohydrates and acetogenesis by LFD.

PSVIII-18 Nutrient Digestibility of Feedlot Beef Yearling Steers Offered Finishing Diets with Direct fed Microbial Mixtures

Abstract The effects of dietary inclusion of live bacteria on feedlot beef cattle apparent total tract nutrient digestibility were evaluated. Crossbred-Angus yearling steers (n = 192; initial BW = 409 kg ± 8 kg) were blocked by body weight (BW) and randomly assigned into 48 pens (4 steers/pen; 16 pens/treatment) following a randomized complete block design. A steam-flaked corn-based fishing diet was offered ad libitum once daily containing the following treatments: 1) Control, in which no direct fed microbial (DFM) was offered (lactose as carrier only); 2 and 3) Probiotic mixtures at distinct concentrations [Mixture A and B, at 2g/animal-daily (lactose used as carrier)]. Orts DM were quantified (if any) daily and subtracted from total dietary DM offered to calculate DM intake. Fecal samples were collected twice daily (0700 and 1700 h) for 5 consecutive days (d 68 to 72) from at least 3 steers per pen, while feed samples were collected daily. Samples were composited within period, dehydrated (55°C), and ground (1mm) for further analyses. Total fecal output was estimated with a dietary internal marker (288-h indigestible NDF) and used to calculate nutrient digestibility. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS and pen was considered the experimental unit. Intakes of DM, OM, NDF, and ADF during the digestibility assessment were not affected (P ≥ 0.13) by treatments. Steers offered DFM mixture-A tended to increase digestibility of DM (P = 0.07; 79.3 vs. 77.1%), NDF (P = 0.10; 56.9 vs. 51.6%), and hemicellulose (P = 0.08; 59.4 vs. 53.9%) compared with control, while digestibility of ADF was not affected (P = 0.24) by treatment. The DFM mixture-A seemed to positively affect apparent digestibility of nutrients in steers consuming a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet, in which improvements in the fiber fraction digestion seemed to be a meaningful contributor.

Carbon footprint assessment of a whole dairy farming system with a biogas plant and the use of solid fraction of digestate as a recycled bedding material

Biogas generated from livestock manure is a renewable energy source and the digestate is used as a fertilizer. Moreover, dewatered biogas digestate can be used as a bedding material (recycled bedding material). The aims of the present study were to model a whole dairy system with a biogas plant using recycled bedding material and to assess the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions from the material flow of dairy cattle production, manure treatment and organic fertilizer application to on-farm crops were evaluated. In the emissions from organic fertilizer storage and recycled bedding material production, CH4 emission was decreased by 43.0%, and consequently the system with a biogas plant reduced total GHG emissions by 6.8% compared with conventional slurry storage and straw bedding. The use of recycled bedding material from a biogas plant has the potential to create a resource cycle and to be beneficial as a GHG mitigation strategy.

Application of Vibrating Reverse Osmosis Technology for Nutrient Recovery from Pig Slurry in a Circular Economy Model.

The rapid growth of the livestock sector in some areas of Europe has caused an imbalance between the generation of livestock manure and the availability of agricultural soil for its direct application as a fertilizer. Since the transport of pig slurry to other areas with nutrient-deficient soils is costly from an economic point of view due to its high water content, the application of new technologies for the concentration of this waste is considered key for reducing management costs. Consequently, the main objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential of vibratory shear enhanced processing (VSEP) operated with reverse osmosis membranes to recover nutrients from the liquid fractions of pig slurry (LF-pig slurry) and digestate (LF-digestate) and obtain concentrated fertilizing products. Use of the VSEP unit permitted reductions in the water contents of the LF-pig slurry and LF-digestate, around 77% and 67%, respectively. Both VSEP concentrates were characterized by their significant nutrient contents and showed a nitrogen fertilizer replacement value similar to that of mineral fertilizer as demonstrated in a barley crop pot-test, although the salinity of the digestate concentrate was identified as a key limitation, negatively impacting the agronomic yield of the test crop.

Incorporation of defatted quinoa flour affects in vitro starch digestion, cooking and rheological properties of wheat noodles

Quinoa is a lipid-rich pseudocereal, and lipid oxidation limits the shelf life of quinoa flour. It has been shown that defatting improves the storage properties of quinoa. However, there is a lack of research to support the application of defatted quinoa flour. The rheological properties of dough and in vitro starch digestibility, cooking quality, and texture properties of noodles containing 0%–30% (w/w) defatted quinoa flour (DQF) were investigated. The results showed that the storage modulus (G') of dough substituted with 10% DQF was higher than wheat dough, and the deformation decreased as the DQF content increased. Noodles with DQF (10–20%) had a lower cooking loss and water absorption than noodles with 10% full quinoa flour (FQF), while the noodles with 30% DQF exceeded the satisfactory point of industry standards for cooking loss. On the other hand, the noodles with DQF presented a higher hardness and chewiness than wheat noodles. In vitro digestion results showed two simultaneous digestion fractions for all noodle samples. The noodles' maximum digestion amount and slow digestion fraction content decreased by 5.77% and increased by 9.64%, respectively, with 10% DQF. Considering digestive and cooking characteristics of noodles, we recommend incorporating 10% DQF into noodle formulations. This study will provide scientific support to the industrial product application of quinoa noodles.

Solid-state fermentation of Pleurotus ostreatus to improve the nutritional profile of mechanically-fractionated canola meal

Canola meal is an abundant and economic source of energy and nutrients for production animals, but it contains more antinutrients, less protein, and has a lower nutrient digestibility compared to soybean meal. In this study, mechanical fractionation and solid-state fungal fermentation were conducted to improve nutrient profile and reduce antinutrient content of canola meal. Mechanical processing, including milling, sieving, and air classification, was used to fractionate canola meal and redistribute its components in different fractions. Then these fractions were inoculated for fungal fermentation. The results showed that 12-day solid-state fermentation with Pleurotus ostreatus increased the protein content in all fractions by 11–18 %, decreased sinapine, glucosinolates, and phytate up to 99.8 %, 98.8 % and 75.8 %, respectively, and increased the in vitro digestibility of selective fractions. Overall, Pleurotus ostreatus-based solid-state fermentation has the potential to be an effective treatment to improve the nutritional profile of canola meal.

Sustainable Valorization of Four Types of Fruit Peel Waste for Biogas Recovery and Use of Digestate for Radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Pusa Himani) Cultivation

Food waste has become a challenging global issue due to its inefficient management, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Among food waste items, fruit peel waste (FPW) is generated in enormous quantities, especially from juice vendors, resulting in arduous tasks for waste management personnel and authorities. However, considering the nutrient and digestible content of organic wastes, in this study four types of FPW (pineapple: PA; sweet lemon: SL; kinnow: KN; and pomegranate: PG) were investigated for their potential use within biogas production, using conventional and electro-assisted anaerobic reactors (CAR and EAR). In addition, the FPW digestate obtained after the biogas production experiments was considered as a soil bio-fertilizer under radish (Raphanussativus L. cv. Pusa Himani) cultivation. In the results, all four types of FPW had digestible organic fractions, as revealed from physicochemical and proximate analysis. However, PA-based FPW yielded the maximum biogas (1422.76 ± 3.10 mL/62.21 ± 0.13% CH4) using the EAR system, compared to all other FPW. Overall, the decreasing order of biogas yield obtained from FPW was observed as PA > PG > SL > KN. The kinetic analysis of the biogas production process showed that the modified Gompertz model best fitted in terms of coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.99) to predict cumulative biogas production (y), lag phase (λ), and specific biogas production rate (µm). Moreover, fertilizer application of spent FPW digestate obtained after biogas production significantly improved the arable soil properties (p < 0.05). Further, KN-based FPW digestate mixing showed maximum improvement in radish plant height (36.50 ± 0.82 cm), plant spread (70.80 ± 3.79 cm2), number of leaves (16.12 ± 0.05), fresh weight of leaves (158.08 ± 2.85 g/plant), fruit yield (140.10 ± 2.13 g/plant), and fruit length (25.05 ± 0.15 cm). Thus, this study suggests an efficient method of FPW management through biogas and crop production.

Anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste using a novel two-stage solid-liquid system

Organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) has high volatile solid and moisture content, which is mainly treated via anaerobic digestion (AD). Since the composition of OFMSW is complicated and inconstant, it is difficult to maintain the AD process stable and effective. In this study, a novel two-stage AD system, including a tank-type acidogenic phase and a fixed-bed methanogenic phase, was implemented for OFMSW treatment to demonstrate the feasibility of the two-stage configuration. Results showed that 84% of potential CH4 yield was achieved and the methane content reached 77.83% on average in methanogenic phase. The acetoclastic methanogens, Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina, which can participate in direct interspecies electron transfer, were the dominant genera in solid digestate and the biofilm. The hydrogenotrophic methanogens, Methanospirillum and Methanoculleus, accounted for high proportions in liquid digestate. Our study provides a novel approach to treat OFMSW with less water consumption, high stability and efficiency.

Influence of sprouted oat flour substitution on the texture and in vitro starch digestibility of wheat bread.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sprouted oats substitutions on the in vitro digestibility of starch in the wheat bread. The physical and nutritional quality of wheat bread enriched with 20% sprouted oat flour was compared. The polyphenols and γ-aminobutyric acid increased, while the content of starch and β-glucan in the mixed bread was gradually decreased. The specific volume of mixed bread reached the maximum with a 19.79% reduction of area fraction and a 31.36% increase cell density when sprouting for 72h. Two digestible starch fractions with different digestion rates were observed from the LOS-CPS fitted starch digestograms. The microstructure revealed that large type A wheat starch was gelatinized after baking, whereas small type B wheat starch and oat starch were wrapped in protein-β-glucan complexes. This study suggests that properly sprouting has the potential to obtain nutritional bread with low starch digestibility.

Effective Mild Ethanol-Based Organosolv Pre-Treatment for the Selective Valorization of Polysaccharides and Lignin from Agricultural and Forestry Residues

Organosolv pre-treatments aiming to selectively remove and depolymerise lignin and hemicellulose and yield an easily digestible cellulose fraction are one of the potential options for industrial implementation within the biorefinery concept. However, the use of high temperatures and/or high catalyst concentrations is still hindering its wide adoption. In this work, mild temperature organosolv processes (140 °C) that were either non-catalysed or catalysed with sulphuric or acetic acid were compared to standard similar conditions using ethanol-based organosolv for both wheat straw (WS) and eucalyptus wood residues (ERs) as agricultural and forestry-derived model raw materials, respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that high cellulose purities could be obtained for the catalysed ethanol-based processing of the WS, which resulted in high saccharification yields (>80%), conversely to the non-catalysed process, which only reached values close to 70%. For eucalyptus residues (ERs), the pulp yields obtained were lower than the values obtained for the WS, suggesting that the ERs were a more reactive material. Cellulose purity was higher than that obtained for the corresponding treatment for the WS, with the highest cellulose purity being obtained for the ethanol-based process catalysed with sulphuric acid. Both materials presented high lignin yield recovery in the liquid stream.

Modeling and optimization of the hydrolysis and acidification via liquid fraction of digestate from corn straw by response surface methodology and artificial neural network

This study investigated liquid fraction of digestate (LFD) assisted hydrolysis and acidification (HA) of corn straw (CS) for enhanced biogas production. Response surface methodology-central composite design (RSM-CCD) and artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA) tools were used to optimize the acidogenic performance. Optimized performance was obtained at the hydraulic retention time of 8 d, temperature of 41 °C, the ratio of substrate and inoculum of 4, and pH 10. As a result of combining LFD and HA modification, performance in anaerobic digestion was improved. The highest observed methane yield under the optimal condition was 305.6 mL g−1·TS−1, which was 92.3% higher than the control group. In comparison to the RSM model (R2 = 0.921, RMSE = 20.3), the ANN-GA model indicated a higher R2 and a lower RSME value (R2 = 0.965, RMSE = 13.4), which demonstrated its advantages in determining the non-linear behavior of corn straw anaerobic digestion. The supplementation of LFD along with HA can be useful for enhancing the VFAs yield and bioenergy recovery from CS.

Powder structure and gelation behaviour of debranched cassava starches prepared with and without incubation

SummaryThe effect of incubation after debranching on the powder structure and gelation behaviour of debranched cassava starch (DBCS) was investigated. The DBCS samples were prepared by debranching 10% (w/v) cassava starch with pullulanase at 55 °C for 24 h, then incubated at 4 °C for 0, 1, 4, 24 and 72 h and recovered by precipitation with ethanol. The unincubated DBCS appeared as small, sponge‐like aggregates with a rough surface, while the incubated DBCS powders were considerably larger, looked denser and had a smooth surface. The unincubated DBCS had an A + V‐type crystal structure, whereas incubated DBCS samples had a B‐type structure. Crystallinity of all DBCSs was 20–22%. The incubated DBCSs displayed a substantially lower gel setting time compared to the unincubated DBCS, that is, the gel setting time of 10% DBCSs cooked for 10 min reduced from 242 min to 47–52 min when kept at 25 °C. The difference of gel setting time was most likely related to the type of crystal formed as well as the difference in amorphous structure, as indicated by the content of the slowly digestible starch fraction.

Dry Anaerobic Digestion of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste: Biogas Production Optimization by Reducing Ammonia Inhibition

The aim of this work is to optimize biogas production from thermophilic dry anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) by comparing various operational strategies to reduce ammonia inhibition. A pilot-scale plug flow reactor (PFR) operated semi-continuously for 170 days. Three scenarios with different feedstock, namely solely OFMSW, OFMSW supplemented with structural material, and OFMSW altered to have an optimal carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio, were tested. Specific biogas production (SGP), specific methane production (SMP), the biogas production rate (GPR), and bioenergy recovery were evaluated to assess the process performance. In addition, process stability was monitored to highlight process problems, and digestate was characterized for utilization as fertilizer. The OFMSW and the structural material revealed an unbalanced content of C and N. The ammonia concentration decreased when the optimal C/N ratio was tested and was reduced by 72% if compared with feeding solely OFMSW. In such conditions, optimal biogas production was obtained, operating with an organic loading rate (OLR) equal to 12.7 gVS/(L d). In particular, the SGP result was 361.27 ± 30.52 NLbiogas/kgVS, the GPR was 5.11 NLbiogas/(Lr d), and the potential energy recovery was 8.21 ± 0.9 MJ/kgVS. Nevertheless, the digestate showed an accumulation of heavy metals and low aerobic stability.

Study on Structural and Physicochemical Properties of Modified Corn Starch: Comparison of Ultrasound, Stirring, and Lactic Acid Treatments

AbstractUltra‐sonication has been growingly utilized in starch modification as a green and non‐thermal technology. In this research, the effect of ultrasonic, stirring, and lactic acid treatments alone and with their combination (binary and ternary) on the properties and structure of corn starch is investigated. In the ternary treatment, degree of substitution of lactate on the polymeric chains of the starch is increased, inducing an esterified structure, which imparted to the modified starch a higher swelling power, water holding capacity, water absorption index, oil absorption rate, and amylose content along with lower viscosity and activation energy of gelatinization than native starch and the rest of the treatments. Also, the in vitro starch digestibility test with ternary treatment exhibits lowest rapidly digestible starch fraction, and highest slowly digestible starch and resistant starch fractions. The XRD patterns demonstrate a reduction in crystallinity percentage of the modified starch by the ternary treatment compared to native starch. The images of SEM indicate that ultra‐sonication and acid hydrolysis result in the damage of granules' surface, while sample agitation by stirring causes no change. Esterification of corn starch is proved by FT‐IR. Starch modification by the proposed ternary treatment can be utilized in production of low‐calorie foods.

Reduction of Enteric Methane Emissions in Heifers Fed Tropical Grass-Based Rations Supplemented with Palm Oil

Vegetable oils have been shown to reduce enteric methane (CH4) production by up to 20%. However, when the level of incorporation exceeds the threshold of 70 g/kg DM, dry matter intake (DMI) and nutrient digestibility may be reduced. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the incorporation of three levels of palm oil (PO) on enteric CH4 emissions, rumen fermentation and apparent digestibility in heifers fed low-quality grass. Four rumen-cannulated heifers (Bos taurus × Bos indicus) were randomly assigned to four treatments: control (CON) and three increasing PO levels: 20, 40 and 60 g/kg in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four periods of 22 days (14 days of adaptation to the ration), 5 days of feces and rumen fluid sampling (day 18, 4 h postprandial) and the last 3 days for measurements of CH4 in respiration chambers. With the exception of CP (p = 0.04), starch (p = 0.002) and EE (p < 0.001), the intake of nutrients was not affected by the inclusion of PO (p > 0.05). The apparent digestibility (AD) of nutrients was not affected by the inclusion of PO (p > 0.05), except for starch, which reduced its AD as the PO level was increased (p < 0.05). The gross energy intake was higher in PO-containing rations (p = 0.001), on the other hand, the digestible energy intake was similar between treatments (p > 0.05). In situ ruminal digestion kinetics and the potential degradability remained unchanged (p > 0.05), however, the effective degradability decreased with the inclusion of PO in the rations (p < 0.05). The ruminal pH and molar proportions of acetic, isovaleric and valeric acid were not different between treatments (p > 0.05). The ruminal concentration of propionic acid increased as the PO level increased, reaching its highest molar proportion with 60 g/kg PO (p < 0.05), however, the acetic/propionic ratio and the molar proportions of butyric acid and isobutyric acid decreased as the PO level increased (p < 0.05). The total daily CH4 production was lower in diets containing 20, 40 and 60 g/kg PO compared to the CON diet (p < 0.001). The production of CH4 per kg DMI and DOMI was greater (p < 0.05) for the CON diet compared to all three rations containing PO. The emission intensity, Ym, energy lost as CH4, emission factor (EF) and kg CO2 eq/year were reduced as an effect of the inclusion of PO (p < 0.05). Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that the incorporation of PO in cattle rations has the potential to reduce enteric methane emissions by 4% for every 10 g/kg PO in the ration, without affecting DMI, apparent digestibility or the consumption of digestible nutrient fractions.

Analyses of Methanogenic Population as Key Indicator for Anaerobic Digestion: A Case-Study in the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste Treatment

PurposeThe anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) is a treatment biologically optimizable. The analysis of the microbial balance within the digester allows not only to describe and improve the efficiency of the system but also to foresee potential variations after biochemical interventions. This work aims to highlight methanogenic population variations in two similar parallel digesters to identify bio-indicators for digestion performance after the inclusion of an additive.MethodsThe analysed industrial case study involved the two parallel, pilot-scale, bio-digesters of ACEA Pinerolese Industriale. They had analogous design and fed by the same OFMSW except for an additive inclusion. The analyses by qRT-PCR, on both bio-digesters, have been performed to determine an impact of the additive on the growth and metabolic activity of total methanogens, Methanosarcina spp., Methanocorpuscolum spp., and Methanospirillus spp.ResultsCollected data showed that the addition of biopolymers extracted from compost produced both total methanogens and Methanosarcina decrease (7.67 vs. 7.48 and 6.05 vs. 5.69 Log gene copies/mL sludge respectively, T-test p < 0.01) affecting slightly the methane yield (-8%). Methanosarcina was the highest expressed methanogen; however, the results suggested the involvement of a highly complex and heterogeneous methanogen community.ConclusionsTotal methanogens and active Methanosarcina modulations are able to highlight major bio-methane production even if their shift is slight. Globally only 3–4% of the present and 12–13% of the active methanogens were described. However, biological approach can supply a proxy of production performance of the digester also concerning the feeding peculiarities.Graphical abstract

Enrichment of centromeric DNA from human cells.

Centromeres are key elements for chromosome segregation. Canonical centromeres are built over long-stretches of tandem repetitive arrays. Despite being quite abundant compared to other loci, centromere sequences overall still represent only 2 to 5% of the human genome, therefore studying their genetic and epigenetic features is a major challenge. Furthermore, sequencing of centromeric regions requires high coverage to fully analyze length and sequence variations, and this can be extremely costly. To bypass these issues, we have developed a technique, named CenRICH, to enrich for centromeric DNA from human cells based on selective restriction digestion and size fractionation. Combining restriction enzymes cutting at high frequency throughout the genome, except within most human centromeres, with size-selection of fragments >20 kb, resulted in over 25-fold enrichment in centromeric DNA. High-throughput sequencing revealed that up to 60% of the DNA in the enriched samples is made of centromeric repeats. We show that this method can be used in combination with long-read sequencing to investigate the DNA methylation status of certain centromeres and, with a specific enzyme combination, also of their surrounding regions (mainly HSATII). Finally, we show that CenRICH facilitates single-molecule analysis of replicating centromeric fibers by DNA combing. This approach has great potential for making sequencing of centromeric DNA more affordable and efficient and for single DNA molecule studies.

PERFORMANCE OF YANKASA RAMS FED CORN COB BASAL DIET SUPPLEMENTED WITH MIXTURE OF SUN-DRIED BROILER LITTER AND DIFFERENT ENERGY SUPPLEMENTS

A total of sixteen (16) Yankasa rams of about 10-12 months of age and having an average weight of 24 kg were used in an 84-day trial to investigate the nutrient utilization and digestibility of Yankasa rams fed grounded corn cob as basal diet supplemented with sun-dried broiler litter (SDPL) and different energy concentrate mixture. The rams were randomly assigned into four (4) treatments with four (4) replicates per treatment in a completely randomized design (CRD). Four experimental diets were formulated and designated as: T1 (Corn cob + 150g SDPL + 150g MB), T2 (Corn cob + 150g SDPL + 150g RB), T3 (Corn cob + 150g SDPL + 150g MO), and T4 (Corn cob + 150g SDPL + 150g WO) and used to feed the Yankasa rams. The result of the performance of the rams showed that basal feed intake (35360.00-37735.00g; P&lt;0.05), supplement feed intake (25077.50-25200.00g; P&lt;0.05), total feed intake 60437.50-62935.00g; P&lt;0.05), daily feed intake (719.49-749.23g; P&lt;0.05), feed conversion ratio (7.74-9.11; P&lt;0.05) and water intake 199.93-206.93L; P&lt;0.05) were significantly affected across dietary treatments. On the daily weight of the rams, final weight (30500.00-32250.00g; P&lt;0.05), weight gain (6750.00-8000.00g; P&lt;0.05) and daily weight gain (80.36-95.24g; P&lt;0.05) was significantly (P&lt;0.05) while initial weight did not differ significantly. Poultry litter inclusion in ruminant diets could enhance the active utilization of fibrous feed materials and crop residues used in formulation. It could also possibly have role in supplying active microbial network that could enhance digestibility and degradability of rumen dietary fractions.

Greenhouse gas emissions from a sandy loam soil amended with digestate-derived biobased fertilisers – A microcosm study

Nutrient recovery from anaerobic digestion systems provides several side streams that are useful as biobased fertilisers (BBFs). A microcosm approach was employed to assess the short-term greenhouse gas emissions from a sandy-loam soil enriched with 18 BBFs in comparison with mineral fertilisers (urea and calcium ammonium nitrate). In total, 20 different fertilisers were homogeneously incorporated into an arable sandy loam soil at a rate of 170 kg nitrogen (N) ha−1 and incubated at 80 % water-filled pore space. Over 18 days, the fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) released in the headspace of the microcosms were measured using a Gasera One Multi-gas analyser. Cumulative N2O emissions from the BBF treatments were either comparable or lower (0.04–0.09 %N applied) than the mineral fertilisers (0.10–0.14 %N applied). Nitrification of the initial ammonium-N present in the BBFs was likely the dominant biological process driving N2O production. The application of digestate and evaporator concentrates led to an increase in CO2 emissions (8–51 % of applied carbon (C)), mostly in the first days of the incubation. Meanwhile, the solid fraction of digestate exhibited slow mineralisation patterns (3–7 % of applied C). The variability in CO2 respiration was strongly influenced by the availability of labile C. Fertilisation had no effect on soil-borne CH4 emissions. Estimation of global warming potential, with respect to added N, suggests that BBFs obtained from the post-digestion treatment of digestate have a lower environmental impact compared to the unprocessed digestate, due to lower N2O emissions.