Neutral Detergent Fiber Crude Protein Research Articles

Potential alternative feed sources for ruminant feeding from the biodiesel production chain by-products

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, fractionation of nitrogen compounds and carbohydrates, digestibility parameters, gas production kinetics and ruminal fermentation of fruit seed cakes. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three fruit seed cakes (treatments) and four replications. The cakes were made of seeds of custard apple (Annona squamosa), soursop (Annona muricata) and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), which were collected in a biodiesel plant. The passion fruit seed cake presented the highest content of dry matter, neutral detergent fibre crude protein (NDFcp), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin and total carbohydrates (P<0.05). The custard apple seed cake presented high proportions of crude protein, condensed tannins and digestible energy (P<0.05). The soursop seed cake presented higher values for ether extract and total digestible nutrients (P<0.05). For potential degradability, the authors detected a difference between the custard apple, soursop and passion fruit seed cakes. The total volume of gases was higher for custard apple and soursop seed cakes. Custard apple seed cake presented higher proportions of in vitro degradation parameters (P<0.05). Thus this cake could provide greater nutrient levels when supplied in ruminant diets, followed by soursop seed cake and passion fruit seed cake.
 Keywords: alternative food, by-products, ruminant feeding, seed cake, semi-arid

Chemical characteristics, aerobic stability, and microbiological counts in corn silage re-ensiled with bacterial inoculant

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of re-ensiling and bacterial inoculation on the quality of corn silage. The experiment was carried out in a 2x2 factorial design with or without inoculant (association of Lactobacillus plantarum and Propionibacterium acidipropionici), and with re-ensiling after 36 hours of aerobic exposure or only ensiling of the whole plant of 'BRS 1055' corn. The fermentative quality, nutritional parameters, dry matter losses, aerobic stability, and microbiological counts of silages were evaluated. Re-ensiling caused an increase of pH and in acetic acid and propionic acid concentrations, as well as in the dry matter (DM), crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber crude protein contents. Conversely, there was a reduction in the nonfiber carbohydrates concentration and in in vitro dry matter digestibility for the re-ensiled material. All changes were explained by the higher-effluent production and DM loss of re-ensiled material that was subjected to two compactions. Microbiology was not altered by the treatments. The use of inoculant altered ash content, but it did not influence other parameters. In contrast, re-ensiling after 36 hours of aerobic exposure caused a reduction in the nutritive value of corn silage and accentuated the DM losses.

Utility of Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy to Predict Nutrient Composition and In Vitro Digestibility of Total Mixed Rations

Total mixed ration (TMR) samples (n = 110) were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), soluble CP, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), NDF CP, starch, ash, fat, total ethanol-soluble carbohydrate, and nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC). Rapidly and slowly degraded and undegraded in situ CP fractions and in vitro DM, organic matter, and NDF digestibility were determined on each TMR. The TMR were scanned using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS); spectra were retained with NIRS calibration and cross-validation statistics were determined using partial least squares regression methods. The CP, NDF, starch, in vitro DM, and in vitro indigestible NDF contents of TMR were predicted by NIRS with good degrees (R2 >0.85) of accuracy with proportionally low standard errors of prediction. Moderate utility of NIRS to predict the NFC (R2 = 0.83) and fat content (R2 = 0.81) of TMR was observed. Rapidly, slowly, and undegraded in situ CP fractions in TMR were not well predicted by NIRS. Similarly, soluble CP, NDF CP, total ethanol-soluble carbohydrate, and in vitro NDF digestibility (% of NDF) were not well predicted by NIRS. Ratios of nutrient range to reference laboratory method error were calculated and found to be positively related (R2 = 0.84) to NIRS predictability of a given TMR nutrient, suggesting some laboratory procedures were not precise enough to yield suitable NIRS predictions. Data suggest that NIRS has utility to predict basic nutrients such as CP, NDF, starch, NFC, and fat in TMR. However, difficulty was observed using NIRS in predicting key biological nutrients in TMR such as in situ CP fractions and in vitro NDF digestibility. Difficulty of NIRS in predicting these nutrients is related to the level of reference method error in relationship to the range of nutrient values in TMR, but other sources of prediction error may exist.

Hybrid Quality and Yield Differences for Corn Silage in Pennsylvania

Differences among corn (Zea mays L.) hybrids for forage quality traits have been reported, but the stability of forage quality differences over diverse environments is not well documented. To evaluate hybrid stability for yield and forage quality, nine commercial hybrids were evaluated at two locations in Pennsylvania in 1990 and one location in 1991. All hybrids were harvested on the same day at the 2/3 milk line to black layer stage, depending on the hybrid. Whole plant and stover sub-samples were collected from each plot, chopped, dried, and ground for analysis. Forage analysis for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) was performed using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) on both whole plant and stover samples [...]