Finger Millet Straw Research Articles

Agrosilvopastoral systems for improved crop and fodder productivity and soil health in the rainfed environments of South India

CONTEXTLivestock and crop productions are always intrinsically linked in risk prone rainfed farming. Agrosilvopastoral systems ensures supplementarity of resources, feed availability for goat and sheep, and food grain for farmers. Agrosilvopastoral system approach is an attempt to tackle fodder shortages in winter (December–February) and summer (March–June), which can meet the small ruminants' requirements in addition to food grains for human consumption in rainfed areas. OBJECTIVESThe objective of the study was to evaluate and identify an agrosilvopastoral system suited to rainfed environments to ensure high crop and fodder productivity and improved soil health. METHODSA field experiment on agrosilvopastoral system was conducted during 2019–2022 at Hayathnagar research farm of ICAR-CRIDA (17°19′59.0“N Lat. and 78°35’25.3”E Long.) in different combinations of fodder trees with finger millet and legume fodder, and finger millet and legume fodder (stylos) each as check. The fodder trees were: Ailanthus excelsa, Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia latifolia, Madhuca longifolia, Hardiwickia binata, Butea monosperma, Syzygium cumini, Aegel marmelos and Bauhinia variegata. Finger millet and stylos were sown as inter-row and intra-row components of fodder trees. Impacts of these systems on crop, tree and livestock productivity from harvested fodders, and soil health were studied. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe Hardiwickia binata + finger millet + stylos and Dalbergia latifolia + finger millet + stylos based agrosilvopastoral systems produced 1.32 and 1.28 t ha−1 of finger millet yield respectively, and 7.64 and 7.95 t ha−1 green fodder respectively, from fodder trees, finger millet straw and stylos together. There were increases in soil N (36 and 33%), P (65 and 63%), and organic carbon (36 and 35%), and decrease in bulk density (6%) respectively, over initial status under the Hardiwickia binata + finger millet + stylos and Dalbergia latifolia + finger millet + stylos based systems. Hardiwickia binata based system accumulated highest above ground biomass of 17.5 t ha−1. These agrosilvopastoral systems ensured improved fodder availability from crop, legume and trees for small ruminants, improved soil health from fodder legume in wet season, grain availability for farmers from finger millet, and the fodder leaves from trees in the late dry season. SIGNIFICANCEOur study demonstrated that the Dalbergia latifolia + finger millet + stylos and Hardiwickia binata + finger millet + stylos based agrosilvopastoral systems is a feasible option to meet the fodder requirement of small ruminants, improve soil health, lessen vulnerability to crop failure, and improve livelihood security of rainfed farmers in South India.

Comparative Evaluation of Extruded Complete Feeds based on Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) Straw, Areca (Areca catechu) Sheath and Maize (Zea mays) Cob in Mandya Lambs

Background: Although crop residues rich in lignocellulose are a potential source of energy, their utilization is limited due to lack of lignolytic activity of the rumen microbial population. Feed processing by heat treatment is known to break the ligno-cellulolse complexes, in which extrusion has been reported as one of the best processing techniques to improve the nutritional value and efficient utilization of complete diets. A comparative evaluation of extruded complete feed based on finger millet straw, a conventional crop residue, along with areca sheath and maize cob has been taken up in this study. Methods: The extruded complete feed was prepared using roughage and concentrate at proportion of 40:60, respectively. Twenty four Mandya lambs of about 3 to 4 months of age with body weight ranging from 7.8 to 12.9 kg were divided into three groups of eight each in a completely randomized design. Feeding trial was carried out for 12 weeks. The animals were randomly assigned to one of the treatment groups viz., T1 (Finger millet straw based extruded complete feed), T2 (Areca sheath based extruded complete feed) and T3 (Maize cob based extruded complete feed). Digestion trial was conducted using 5 animals in each group during the last week of the growth trial. Result: Analysis of chemical composition (%) revealed that, maize cob and areca sheath were comparable with finger millet straw except that the maize cob contained lower total ash (2.52 v/s 8.61) and higher NDF and hemicellulose content (86.66 v/s71.61; 29.79 v/s17.18). Rumen in vitro net gas (ml / 200 mg DM / 24 h) production and energy density (ME MJ / kg DM) was higher in areca sheath and maize cob as compared to finger millet straw. There was significant difference in total DMI (g/d and g/kgW0.75) among the treatment groups (P£0.05). There was also a significant difference in OM, CP, EE and ADF intake (P£0.05). The ADG (g) and FCR (g DMI/ g BW gain) for T1, T2 and T3 groups were statistically non-significant. The mean apparent digestibility (%) of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF was significantly different among the treatment groups(P£0.01). The per cent Digestible organic matter in dry matter (DOMDM) (T1:70.89,T2:76.13and T3:63.33) was also significantly different among the treatments (P£0.01). It was concluded that the growth rate of lambs fed finger millet straw, areca sheath and maize cob based extruded complete feeds was comparable and could be utilized to sustain production performance of growing Mandya lambs.

Correction to: Pretreatment of finger millet straw (Eleusine coracana) for enzymatic hydrolysis towards bioethanol production

Correction to: Pretreatment of finger millet straw (Eleusine coracana) for enzymatic hydrolysis towards bioethanol production

Host preference by Odontotermes horni (Wasmann) under the natural ecosystem

The investigation on the host preference by the O. horni was carried out in silver oak plantations in December. Maximum litter consumption and host preference were in the order of cattle dung, farm waste, silver oak leaves, finger millet straw, maize straw, eucalyptus bark, eucalyptus leaves, and grass. However, the deposition of subsoil in place of litter consumption was maximum in maize straw, followed by finger millet straw, eucalyptus leaves, silver oak leaves, grass, eucalyptus bark, farm waste, and dung.

Can the Odontotermes horni (Wasmann) subterranean termite significantly alter the macronutrient status of various host plants?

The study aimed to analyze the impact of O.horni foraging on different types of organic litters such as maize straw, finger millet straw, cattle dung, farm waste, grass, silver oak leaves, eucalyptus leaves, and bark. The results showed that the earthen sheetings of O.horni had significantly lower total nitrogen content compared to the various organic litters. Moreover, there were variations in the organic carbon, organic matter, total nitrogen, and available N, P2O5, K, CEC, and C: N ratio content among the earthen sheetings of different organic litters. Interestingly, the earthen sheetings had slightly higher nutrient content than the surrounding subsoils.

Do the subterranean termite Odontotermes horni alter the micronutrient status of different host plants?

The study investigated the effects of O.horni foraging on various organic litters such as maize straw, finger millet straw, cattle dung, farm waste, grass, silver oak leaves, eucalyptus leaves and bark, and the replaced soils. The results show that the earthen sheetings of O.horni contained significantly less exchangeable Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu contents than the various organic litters. Variations in the exchangeable Na, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu content were also observed among the earthen sheetings of the different organic litters. Additionally, these earthen sheetings contained slightly higher nutrient content than the surrounding subsoils

Effect of feeding hydroponic horse gram sprouts on nutrient intake, utilization and growth in Konkan Kanyal Goat kids

Twenty Konkan Kanyal kids (4 to 6 months old) were divided into four groups and fed hydroponic horse gram sprouts (HHGS) viz., HHGS-0:basal feed (500 g finger millet straw + 700 g green mulato grass + 200 g concentrate), HHGS-15:85% basal feed + 15% HHGS, HHGS30:70% basal feed + 30% HHGS and HHGS-45: 55% basal feed + 45% HHGS. Dry matter intake (g/d) was significantly (P<0.01) higher in HHGS-30 (667.02) than HHGS-0 (619.36), HHGS15(654.73), HHGS-45(663.59). Digestible crude protein (g/d) and metabolizable energy (MJ/d) intakes of kids were 38.28 and 4.32 in HHGS-0, 38.36 and 4.50 in HHGS-15, 38.50 and 4.54 in HHGS-30and 38.73 and 4.77 in HHGS-45 respectively. Average daily gain (g) was higher in HHGS-30 (81.44) than other groups. Feed efficiency was higher in HHGS-45 (4.36) than HHGS-0 (5.04). Haemoglobin and PCV were significantly (P<0.05) higher in HHGS-30 kids than other groups. Therefore, it is concluded that hydroponic horse gram fodder can be used as an alternative for concentrate mixture in the feed ration of kids. Based on feed cost per kg live weight gain, 85% basal feed with 15% horse gram sprouts found cost effective for higher growth performance and economic profitability in kid rearing.

Effect of supplementation of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes on growth performance of lambs fed finger millet straw based diets

Effect of supplementation of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes on growth performance of lambs fed finger millet straw based diets

Productivity and Economics of Intercropping of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) and Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) in Rainfed Hills of Uttarakhand

A field experiment on finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) and amaranth ( Amaranth spp.) intercropping was carried out for two consecutive years during kharif season of 2016 and 2017 at College of Forestry, Ranichauri, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India to identify the most promising intercropping systems for improving productivity of cropping system followed in rainfed hills of Uttarakhand. Seven treatments consist of T1: Sole finger millet, T2: Sole Amaranth, T3: Finger millet+Amaranth (4:1) T4: Finger millet+Amaranth (90:10), T5: Finger millet+Amaranth (85:15), T6: Finger millet+Amaranth (80:20), T7: Farmer’s practice of Finger millet+Amaranth (60:40) was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Finger millet + Amaranth (90:10) i.e., T4, produced 58.8% higher finger millet grain equivalent yield (FMEY) over farmer’s practice (T7) of finger millet and amaranth (60:40) and 27.7% higher than the sole amaranth ( T2). The significantly higher finger millet straw equivalent yield was recorded in sole FM (T1) than farmers practice (T7) and was statistically on par with finger millet+amaranth (4:1) (T3) and finger millet+amaranth (90:10) (T4) However, highest land equivalent ratio (1.12), net returns (Rs. 31366 ha-1) and benefit cost: ratios (2.30) were also recorded with (T4) finger millet+ amaranth (90:10 ratio). The lowest benefit cost ratio (1.12) was registered in (T7) farmer’s practice. Therefore line sowing of finger millet+amaranth (90:10 ratios) would be more beneficial than the mixed cropping in rainfed hills of Uttarakhand.

Defatted silkworm pupae meal as an alternative protein source for cattle.

Silkworm pupae meal (SWP) is a protein-rich by-product of the silk reeling industry, available in a significant quantity. However, there has been little and insignificant research into the use of SWP in ruminants to date. In this view, the present study was conducted in two phases to evaluate the effect of different inclusion levels of defatted silkworm pupae meal (DSWP) on rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis and nutrient utilisation in cattle fed on finger millet straw (FMS)-based diet. Four isonitrogenous concentrate mixtures (CM) were prepared with DSWP replacing soybean meal (SBM) protein at 0 (T0), 10 (T1), 20 (T2) and 30% (T3). In phase I, a rumen fermentation experiment was conducted in a 4 × 4 Latin square design using four crossbred steers to study the effect of different levels of DSWP on rumen fermentation. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in rumen fermentation parameters such as pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) among the experimental groups. In phase II, the digestibility trial was conducted in 20 crossbred cattle (311.2 ± 4.81kg), which were divided into four experimental groups of five animals each in a completely randomised design to study the effect of different rations (T0, T1, T2, T3) on microbial protein synthesis and nutrient utilisation. The intake and digestibility of nutrients, excretion of urinary purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were not significantly different among the experimental groups. In addition, feeding DSWP revealed no significant (P > 0.05) change in the blood biochemical parameters of animals. Furthermore, at the same price as SBM, DSWP provides two units more crude protein. Therefore, the results of the present study indicated that DSWP can be incorporated into the ration of cattle up to 30% by replacing SBM without affecting rumen fermentation pattern and nutrient utilisation.

Comparing the Effects of Different Organic Mulching Materials on Weed Control, Soil Moisture Conservation, and Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) Productivity in the Moisture Deficit Areas

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) productivity, in water deficit areas such as Ethiopia, is threatened by low soil fertility, weed infestation and moisture stress. Organic Mulch was believed to avert these challenges but only limited scientific information, on its level of effects (crop yield, soil moisture conservation and weed control), was available. Hence, an experiment was carried out on Cambisols in Tigray/Ethiopia during the 2019/20 growing season following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Four organic mulch types (maize stalk, sorghum stalk, wheat straw, and finger millet straw), each at the rates of 2 ton ha-1 were compared against the control (no mulch). Their economic visibility was evaluated using partial budget analysis. Our experimental results revealed that mulched plots had a significantly higher weed control efficiency, soil moisture content, grain yield, and net benefit as compared to the control. Mulching in general improved Wheat grain yield by 26.8%, soil moisture (at 0 – 20 cm) by 73.7%, weed control efficiency by 57.4%, and net benefit by 19.7% as compared to the control. Maize and sorghum stover mulches were the most profitable mulch types which increased net benefit by 38.2 and 27.6%, respectively. It can be concluded that organic mulching with Maize and Sorghum stover is a good option to improve crop production, soil moisture and reduce weed infestation in the moisture deficit areas.

Straw dry matter yield and quality of finger millet intercropped with selected vetch species at different seeding ratios in western Oromia, Ethiopia

This study was conducted to evaluate the straw dry matter yield and quality of finger millet intercropped with three species of vetch (Vicia sativa, Viciavillosa and Vicia atropurpurea) at different seeding ratios in western Oromia, Ethiopia. The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) arranged factorially in three replications. The treatment consisted of three vetch species and three seeding ratios (25:75, 50:50 and 75:25% finger millet: vetch respectively) and one pure stand of each as a control. The dry matter yield (DMY) of finger millet straw was different (P < 0.05) for the tested treatment combinations and the highest DMY of finger millet straw (5.85 t ha−1) was obtained from T10. The crude protein yield of finger millet straw was also influenced by the main effect and interaction effects of species and seeding ratio (P < 0.05). According to this study, T10 gave the highest (0.50 t ha−1) crude protein yield of finger millet straw. In general, vetch intercropping with finger millet has improved overall dry matter yield and quality of the intercrops. Thus, T10 was found to be the best treatment tested in terms of dry matter yield and quality to be used in a food/feed production strategy in a mixed crop-livestock production system to alleviate food/feed shortages in Bako and similar agro-ecologies.

Biological depolymerization of lignin using laccase harvested from the autochthonous fungus Schizophyllum commune employing various production methods and its efficacy in augmenting in vitro digestibility in ruminants

A laccase-producing hyper performer, Schizophyllum commune, a white-rot fungus, was evaluated for its ability to selectively degrade lignin of diverse crop residues in vitro. Relative analysis of crop residue treatment using laccase obtained from immobilized cells demonstrated degradation of 30–40% in finger millet straw and sorghum stover, 27–32% in paddy straw, 21% in wheat straw, and 26% in maize straw, while 20% lignin degradation was observed when purified and recombinant laccase was used. Further investigations into in vitro dry matter digestibility studies gave promising results recording digestibility of 54–59% in finger millet straw 33–36% in paddy straw and wheat straw, 16% in maize straw for laccase obtained from cell immobilization method, whereas 14% digestibility was observed when purified and recombinant laccase was used. Sorghum stover recorded digestibility of 13–15% across all straws treated with laccase. The results obtained elucidated the positive influence of laccase treatment on lignin degradation and in vitro dry matter digestibility. The present research gave encouraging figures confirming the production of laccase using the cell immobilization method to be an efficient production method commensurate with purified and recombinant laccase under conditions of submerged cultivation, proclaiming a cost-effective, environmentally safe green technology for effectual lignin depolymerization.

Effects of different substrates on production of oyster mushroom in walling of syangja, Nepal

This research was conducted in Agriculture Development Resource Center, Syangja to determine the effectiveness of substrate for the production of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). Completely Randomization Design was used for this research with three replications in which five treatments (substrate) were used i.e.; rice straw, finger-millet straw, saw dust, maize straw and maize cob. Days required for full colonization, first fruiting, harvesting time, total mushroom production, mushroom pileus diameter, and stipe length were observed by taking 5 sample randomly from each treatment. Among the investigated substrate compositions, maize cob required the fewest days (19 days) to complete spawn running, followed by finger-millet straw (21 days), while saw dust required the most days (38 days) to complete spawn running. Finger-millet straw indicated the shortest time (28 days) harvesting, and the maximum yield was found in finger-millet straw (1.05 kg) and highest stipe length (5.3cm) was found in saw dust followed by rice straw (4.8 cm). Among various used substrate finger-millet straw was found to be the best for mushroom production at least in Waling, Syangja.&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.9(1): 11-16, April 2022

Nature of Carbohydrates in Agro-industrial By-products (AIBP) Scarcely Support Rumen Microbial Protein Production but Sustain Milk Composition

Background: The microbial protein (MBP) production in rumen has quantitative influence on protein availability to host animal and also influence milk composition, particularly milk protein. Few native breeds produce low levels of milk that should sustain economically on agro-industrial by-products (AIBP). However, the nature of carbohydrates in AIBP how far support the MBP in rumen is seldom quantified. The objective of the study was to evaluate the cell wall carbohydrates of AIBP as a source of energy for rumen MBP production and milk composition in Bos indicus cows. Methods: Twenty Deoni breed cows in mid-lactation were divided in complete randomized block design into 5 groups of 4 each based on milk yield, body weight, parity and days in lactation. Basal roughage was finger millet straw ad-lib. The cows in treatment groups were supplemented with wheat bran (T1), or hyacinth bean grit (T2), or soy husk (T3), or 50% green gram grit plus 50% pigeon pea husk (T4) and compared with a control group (CG) supplemented with sorghum grain. All the supplements were made 18% isonitrogenous with commercial urea and fortified with 2% common salt and 3% minerals and vitamins mix. The diets were fed for 7 weeks including a digestibility trial of 5 days duration. Result: Total diet intake was comparable between CG and TGs. CP, hemicelluloses, celluloses (P≤0.01) and, EE (P≤0.05) digestibility were higher in TGs than CG. Energy efficiency was comparable between grain and AIBPs. Rumen MBP was lesser in TGs than CG. Higher rumen MBP among TGs was observed in T4 (180 g d-1) but it was 45 g d-1 lesser than CG. Milk total solids (TS), fat and solids-non-fat (SNF) were comparable between CG and TGs. The coefficient of variation in daily milk yield was reduced in TGs. The concentrate supplement with 50% grit and 50% husk combination was only suitable to moderately sustain rumen MBP production and also support milk production otherwise, AIBP as the sole concentrate supplement had limited benefit for rumen MBP production.

Nutritional Evaluation of Hydroponic Maize (Zea mays) Grain Sprouts as a Newer Green Feed Resource in Lambs

Background: Maize (Zea mays) grain sprouts (MGS) can be a potential source of green fodder for ruminants, especially when there is scarcity of land and water. Nutritional value of MGS grown with hydroponic technique was assessed for nutrient utilization, blood biochemical profile, immunity and growth performance in lambs. Methods: The MGS were produced in a polyhouse and harvested on 10th day and subjected to rumen in vitro incubation for gas production (RIVIGP) test to predict metabolisable energy (ME) value. The feeding cum growth trial was conducted for 120 days. Eighteen healthy male lambs of 3-4 months age and comparable body weight were randomly allotted in a complete randomized design to three dietary groups of six in each. The control (T1) group lambs were fed conventional green fodder (CGF), finger millet straw (FMS) and compounded feed mixture (CFM) at 50:10:40 ratio on DM basis, In treatment group two (T2), proportion of CGF and CFM was reduced by 50% and substituted with 45% MGS on DM basis (CGF, FMS, CFM and MGS on total DM basis was in 25:10:20:45 ratio, respectively). In treatment group three (T3), CGF was completely replaced with MGS (80%) and CFM was reduced to 25% of control (CGF, FMS, CFM and MGS on total DM basis was in 0:10:10:80 ratio, respectively). Result: Results indicated that MGS has ME (MJ/kg DM) of 9.70. The average DM intake (g/d/lamb) in T1, T2 and T3 groups was 764, 581 and 398, respectively. The average daily gain (ADG, g) in T1, T2 and T3 groups was 77.3, 48.5 and 20.9, respectively. There was a significant (P less than 0.05) decrease in DMI and ADG with reduced feed efficiency in lambs fed MGS. However, the per cent digestibility of nutrients, blood biochemical profile, immunity and serum minerals in lambs did not differ among the groups. It is concluded that replacement of compounded feed mixture or conventional green fodder with MGS will limit the dry matter intake, net nutrient availability and negatively affect the growth performance in lambs.

Effect of Long-Term Supplementation With Silkworm Pupae Oil on the Methane Yield, Ruminal Protozoa, and Archaea Community in Sheep.

Supplementation with lipids and oils is one of the most efficient strategies for reducing enteric methane emission. However, high costs and adverse impacts on fiber degradation restrict the use of conventional oils. Silkworm pupae, a non-conventional oil source rarely used for human consumption in India, could be one of the cheaper alternatives for methane mitigation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect on sheep of long-term supplementation (180 days) of silkworm pupae oil (SWPO) with two distinct supplementation regimes (daily and biweekly) on daily enteric methane emission, methane yield, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, ruminal archaea community composition, and protozoal population. The effect of the discontinuation of oil supplementation on enteric methane emission was also investigated. Eighteen adult male sheep, randomly divided into three groups (n = 6), were provisioned with a mixed diet consisting of 10.1% crude protein (CP) and 11.7 MJ/kg metabolizable energy formulated using finger millet straw and concentrate in a 55:45 ratio. SWPO was supplemented at 2% of dry matter intake (DMI) in test groups either daily (CON) or biweekly (INT), while no oil was supplemented in the control group (CTR). DMI (p = 0.15) and CP (p = 0.16) in the CON and INT groups were similar to that of the CTR group; however, the energy intake (MJ/kg) in the supplemented groups (CON and INT) was higher (p < 0.001) than in CTR. In the CON group, body weight gain (kg, p = 0.02) and average daily gain (g, p = 0.02) were both higher than in the CTR. The daily methane emission in the CON (17.5 g/day) and INT (18.0 g/day) groups was lower (p = 0.01) than the CTR group (23.6 g/day), indicating a reduction of 23–25% due to SWPO supplementation. Similarly, compared with the CTR group, methane yields (g/kg DMI) in test groups were also significantly lower (p < 0.01). The transient nature of the anti-methanogenic effect of SWPO was demonstrated in the oil discontinuation study, where daily methane emission reverted to pre-supplementation levels after a short period. The recorded methanogens were affiliated to the families Methanobacteriaceae, Methanomassilliicoccaceae, and Methanosarcinaceae. The long-term supplementation of oil did not induce any significant change in the rumen archaeal community, whereas minor species such as Group3b exhibited differing abundance among the groups. Methanobrevibacter, irrespective of treatment, was the largest genus, while Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii was the dominant species. Oil supplementation in CON and INT compared with CTR decreased (p < 0.01) the numbers of total protozoa (× 107 cells/ml), Entodiniomorphs (× 107 cells/ml), and Holotrichs (× 106 cells/ml). SWPO continuous supplementation (CON group) resulted in the largest reduction in enteric methane emission and relatively higher body weight gain (p = 0.02) in sheep.

Effects of Supplementing Finger Millet (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Eleucine coracana&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;) Straw with Grass Pea (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Lathyrus sativus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; L.) Hulls and Concentrate Mixture on Feed Intake, Digestibility and Body Weight Change in Washera Sheep

The productivity of sheep in Ethiopia is very low mainly due to a serious shortage of feedstuff. As a result, it is necessary to look for cheap locally available feedstuffs to sustain sheep production in the country. Non-conventional feeds like grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) hulls (GPH) could partly fill the gap in the feed supply, decrease competition for food between humans and animals and reduce feed cost. Therefore, this experiment was designed to evaluate effects of different proportions of grass pea hulls and concentrate mixture (CM) supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, and growth of Washera sheep fed finger millet straw (FMS) as a basal diet. Diets consisted FMS alone fed ad libitum (T1), 100% CM (T2), 30% GPH mixed with 70% CM (T3), 30% CM mixed with 70% GPH (T4), and 100% GPH (T5). For all treatments, FMS was fed ad libitum. Experimental sheep were arranged in a randomized complete block design and treatment feeds were assigned to the animals within a block. The results showed that FMS contained 5.5% CP and 68.9% NDF. The supplements contained 21%, 20%, 16% and 14% CP; and 36%, 43%, 52% and 59% NDF for T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. Supplementation improved (p resulted in the lowest ADG (p . While, animals in T1 lost a bodyweight of 5.6 g/day. As the proportion of GPH supplementation was greater than 30%, there was reduction (p T2 > T4 > T5. Therefore, from biological point of view as well as based on partial budget analysis, T3 was found to be recommendable for smallholder sheep producers.

Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus on Agricultural Wastes and Their Combination

Background. Mushrooms are increasingly becoming an important component of diets worldwide, and it is of paramount importance to choose appropriate substrates to grow them. The objective of this study was to grow Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom using different agricultural substrates. Methods. Corncobs, finger millet straw, and bamboo waste were collected from different sites of the Awi Zone. The substrates were chopped into small pieces, and 500 g of their dry mass alone and their combination was measured, packed in a polythene bag, moistened, and pasteurized. The cooled substrates were inoculated with a spoon of P. ostreatus spawn brought from Debre Berhan University. The bags were placed in the growing room, and growth parameters were recorded continuously with environmental variables. The experimental setup was a complete randomized design, six treatments with three replicates. Results. The fastest spawn running phase of P. ostreatus was 28.71 ± 0.80 days, pinhead formation was 32.36 ± 0.26 days, and fruiting bodies’ formation was 5.19 ± 0.74 days after the pinhead was recorded on the corncob substrate. The highest fresh weight and biological efficiency with the significant statistical association were obtained from P. ostreatus grown on finger millet straw (253.07 ± 1.05 and 50.20 ± 0.47, respectively). The highest average number of pinheads and fruiting bodies (29.60 and 11.44, respectively) was recorded on finger millet straw. The lowest biological efficiency (20.80 ± 0.41), fresh weight (101.48 ± 0.91), number of pinheads (14.40), and number of fruiting bodies (4.25) were recorded from a mixture of corncob and bamboo waste (50% each) substrates. Conclusion. Finger millet straw is recommended as the best substrate for the cultivation of P. ostreatus. The mixed substrate of corncob and bamboo waste (1 : 1) for P. ostreatus cultivation is not encouraged due to poor growth performance.

Kinetic and thermodynamic study of finger millet straw pyrolysis through thermogravimetric analysis

Pyrolysis kinetics of finger millet straw (FMS) was studied using a thermogravimetric analyzer under N2 environment. Physico-chemical characteristics of FMS were comparable with the established pyrolysis feedstocks. FMS thermally decomposed in three stages: drying, active pyrolysis, and char formation resulting in 70.37% overall weight loss. Average activation energy determined by Friedman and Starink methods was 177.80 and 172.18 kJ mol−1, respectively. Frequency factor was found to be in the range of 108 to 1029. Reaction pathway followed diffusion, nucleation, and order-based mechanisms. The pyrolysis of FMS was characterized by empirical modeling and predicted well with model adequacy of 97.55%. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG and ΔH) revealed the non-spontaneous and endothermic nature of FMS pyrolysis. The biochar obtained at multiple heating rates were characterized for its physicochemical, functional, and morphological characteristics. The kinetic and thermodynamic analyses illustrate the feasibility of exploiting finger millet straw as a pyrolysis feedstock to derive biofuels.