Value Of Sorghum Grain Research Articles

Promoting the elemental profile of sorghum grain: Driving factors affecting nutritional properties under nitrogen fertilizer conditions

Monitoring nitrogen utilization is crucial in agricultural practices, emphasizing the interrelationship between soil health, nutrient management, and human health.The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of N fertilizer on the nutritional characteristics of diverse S. bicolor varieties, namely Alföldi 1, ES Föehn (Lidea Seeds) with a red pericarp, ES Albanus, Albita, and Farmsugro 180 (all white varieties), the study was conducted in sorghum-producing areas where the crop is non-native. Specifically, the study investigated two soil types: loam clay and sandy soil. Furthermore, the respective varieties were grown under N (27% N CAN) fertilizer conditions, involving 60 kg/ha−1 and 120 kg/ha−1 of the treatment rates applied at each experiment site. We measured the specific element concentration in each sample using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) technology. Certainly, the results demonstrated that the different S. bicolor varieties had unique nutritional characteristics attributed to several factors such as soil type, variety, and treatment, which showed a significance value of (P < 0.05).The findings demonstrated that the treatments had distinct impacts as stimulators and inhibitors for certain elements. Specifically, the application of 120 kg/ha−1 negatively affected the levels of particular elements, such as Ca mg/kg−1, in loam clay and sandy soil. The statistical analysis of trace microelement variance did not show a significance value (P > 0.05) when considering the year factor, which supported the data analysis's reliability and accuracy.In summary, to enhance the nutritional value of sorghum grain and supply nutrient-rich food choices for individuals, consider factors such as fertilizer response, nutrient uptake by grain, element mineral accumulation, and advisory variety. Additional research could enhance the nutritional properties of sorghum to provide the required dietary stuff, such as grain processing, which can render sorghum a proper addition to a healthy and balanced human diet.

Manifestation of agronomically valuable traits in the progeny of a sorghum mutant carrying the genetic construct for RNA silencing of the γ-kafirin gene.

Improving the nutritional value of grain sorghum, a drought- and heat-tolerant grain crop, is an important task in the context of global warming. One of the reasons for the low nutritional value of sorghum grain is the resistance of its storage proteins (kafirins) to proteolytic digestion, which is due, among other things, to the structural organization of protein bodies, in which γ-kafirin, the most resistant to proteases, is located on the periphery, encapsulating more easily digested α-kafirins. The introduction of genetic constructs capable of inducing RNA silencing of the γ-kafirin (gKAF1) gene opens up prospects for solving this problem. Using Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of immature embryos of the grain sorghum cv. Avans we have obtained a mutant with improved digestibility of endosperm proteins (up to 92 %) carrying a genetic construct for RNA silencing of the gKAF1 gene. The goal of this work was to study the stability of inheritance of the introduced genetic construct in T2-T4 generations, to identify the number of its copies, as well as to trace the manifestation of agronomically valuable traits in the offspring of the mutant. The mutant lines were grown in experimental plots in three randomized blocks. The studied lines were characterized by improved digestibility of kafirins, a modified type of endosperm, completely or partially devoid of the vitreous layer, an increased percentage of lysine (by 75 %), reduced plant height, peduncle length, 1000-grains weight, and grain yield from the panicle. In T2, a line with monogenic control of GA resistance was selected. qPCR analysis showed that in different T3 and T4 plants, the genetic construct was present in 2-4 copies. In T3, a line with a high digestibility of endosperm proteins (81 %) and a minimal decrease in agronomically valuable traits (by 5-7 %) was selected.

Validation of low dosages of γ-radiation and their effect on red beetle mortality, storability characteristics, and nutritional value of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) grain

This research was undertaken to validate the low dosages of γ-radiation of sorghum to examine the efficiency of gamma irradiation doses in quality attributes and storability of sorghum grain. Infested sorghum grains with the red flour beetle at the adult stage were irradiated at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 2.0 kGy emitted by 60CO. Subsequently, the mortality rate of the red flour beetle as affected by gamma doses was estimated and the storability characteristics and nutritional value of sorghum grains were measured. Eventually, the Partial Least Squares regression (PLS) analysis was executed to confirm the optimum dose of gamma which eliminate the red flour beetle and enhanced the grain quality. Results provide that the storability characteristics were enhanced after treatments. However, the changes in the germination rate of the grains were not different significantly after radiation. On the other hand, the radiation process enhanced sorghum grins' nutritional quality. Both tannins and phytic acid content dropped significantly and the digestibility and solubility of protein were gradually incremented in the grains. The PLS results indicated that using 1 and 2 kGy reflect the utmost effective dosage for sorghum. It can be concluded that this method is a potent rapid and operative preservation process to the alternate smoking chemical procedure for improving sorghum’s nutritional and functional quality and prolong its shelf life. Possibility of providing effective and rapid quarantine security as an alternative to chemical fumigation protocol to extend shelf life and enhance the nutritional and functional quality of sorghum.

Nutritional value of sorghum as a feedstock for poultry

Recently, many farms are increasingly using such a reserve of intensification of feed production as the cultivation of new low-spread varieties of feed crops. In this regard, sorghum, a widespread crop of southern latitudes, is attracting more and more attention. Sorghum crops due to their high heat and drought resistance, unpretentiousness to soils and low demands on nutrients, can replace cereal crops such as wheat, barley, corn, etc. The article is devoted to the study of the chemical composition and nutritional value of 15 sorghum varieties grown in the Stavropol Territory. The originator and patent holder of all these varieties is Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “North Caucasian Federal Scientifi c Agrarian Center”. The results of the study of these sorghum varieties in the laboratory of physiology and biochemical analysis in the Siberian Scientifi c and Research Institute of Poultry showed that the nutritional value of sorghum grain has diff erences both in varieties and in comparison with the average data specifi ed in the reference manual for poultry feeding. The varieties Zersta-38A, Knyazhna, A-63, Pharaoh, KiM, Ayushka, Athlete, Stavropol-63 and Krusta turned out to be the richest in crude protein content, but at the same time crude fat content and metabolic energy in them are less than those indicated in the methodological guide. Based on the results obtained, experimental compound feed recipes for broiler chickens and laying hens have been developed with the inclusion of varieties of different nutritional values and doses of sorghum grain with the possibility of partial or complete replacement of wheat. The conducted research is of interest because poultry is a competitor of humans in wheat consumption in order to save the traditional widely used grain crop.

Yield capacity and energy value of sorghum grain depending on the application of mineral fertilisers

Yield capacity and energy value of sorghum grain depending on the application of mineral fertilisers

Binary Vector Construction for Site-Directed Mutagenesis of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Kafirin&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Genes in Sorghum

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is one of the world’s leading cereal crops in agricultural production, which has a special importance in the arid regions. However, unlike other cereals, sorghum grain has a lower nutritional value, which is caused, inter alia, by the resistance of its seed storage proteins (kafirins) to protease digestion. One of the effective approaches to improve the nutritional value of sorghum grain is to obtain mutants with partially or completely suppressed synthesis or altered amino acid composition of kafirins. The employment of genome editing may allow to solve this problem by introducing mutations into the nucleotide sequences of the α- and γ-kafirin genes. In this study, genomic target motifs (23 bp sequences) were selected for the introduction of mutations into the α- and γ-KAFIRIN genes of sorghum. The design of the gRNAs was conducted using the online tools CRISPROR and CHOPCHOP. Two most suitable targets were chosen for α-KAFIRIN (k1C5) and two for γ-KAFIRIN (gKAF1) genes. The insertion of respective sequences in the generic vector pSH121 was performed at the BsaI (Eco31I) sites. Validation of the cloning procedure was performed by DNA sequencing. Subcloning of the resulting constructs was performed using the SfiI restriction sites into the compatible binary vector B479p7oUZm-LH. The correct assembly of binary vectors was confirmed by restriction analysis using the MluI and SfiI cleavage sites. The four vectors created (1C - 4C) were transferred by electroporation into the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL0. Currently, this vector series is used for stable transformation of sorghum using immature embryo explants.

Genome-wide association study reveals that different pathways contribute to grain quality variation in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)

BackgroundIn sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), one paramount breeding objective is to increase grain quality. The nutritional quality and end use value of sorghum grains are primarily influenced by the proportions of tannins, starch and proteins, but the genetic basis of these grain quality traits remains largely unknown. This study aimed to dissect the natural variation of sorghum grain quality traits and identify the underpinning genetic loci by genome-wide association study.ResultsLevels of starch, tannins and 17 amino acids were quantified in 196 diverse sorghum inbred lines, and 44 traits based on known metabolic pathways and biochemical interactions amongst the 17 amino acids calculated. A Genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 3,512,517 SNPs from re-sequencing data identified 14, 15 and 711 significant SNPs which represented 14, 14, 492 genetic loci associated with levels of tannins, starch and amino acids in sorghum grains, respectively. Amongst these significant SNPs, two SNPs were associated with tannin content on chromosome 4 and colocalized with three previously identified loci for Tannin1, and orthologs of Zm1 and TT16 genes. One SNP associated with starch content colocalized with sucrose phosphate synthase gene. Furthermore, homologues of opaque1 and opaque2 genes associated with amino acid content were identified. Using the KEGG pathway database, six and three candidate genes of tannins and starch were mapped into 12 and 3 metabolism pathways, respectively. Thirty-four candidate genes were mapped into 16 biosynthetic and catabolic pathways of amino acids. We finally reconstructed the biosynthetic pathways for aspartate and branched-chain amino acids based on 15 candidate genes identified in this study.ConclusionPromising candidate genes associated with grain quality traits have been identified in the present study. Some of them colocalized with previously identified genetic regions, but novel candidate genes involved in various metabolic pathways which influence grain quality traits have been dissected. Our study acts as an entry point for further validation studies to elucidate the complex mechanisms controlling grain quality traits such as tannins, starch and amino acids in sorghum.

Экспрессионные векторы для редактирования генов кафиринов (k1C5, gKAF1) и гена ameiotic 1 у сорго с помощью агробактериальной трансформации

One of the effective approach to improve the nutritional value of sorghum grains is the production of mutants with partially or completely blocked synthesis or the altered amino acid composition of spare proteins - kafirins. The usage of the genomic editing method allows to solve this problem by introducing mutations into the nucleotide sequences of the genes α- and γ-kafirins (k1C5 and gKAF1). Another important area in the genetics and selection of agricultural plants is the development and use of apomixis technologies to fix heterosis in F1 hybrids. The DYAD arabidopsis gene and its homolog ameiotic 1 are the potential apomixis candidate genes involved in the normal course of meiosis, the induction mutations in which is one of the way to solve this problem. In the course of research, the genomic targets (20 bp sequences) were selected to introduce mutations into the genes of α- and γ-kafirins of sorghum and ameiotic 1 gene through CRISPR/Cas genomic editing technology. Guide RNA design is performed using bioinformatic programs CRISPROR and CHOPCHOP. Cloning of the α- and γ- kafirins and ameiotic 1 targets of sorghum into vector pBAtC was carried out at sites AarI. Validation of the success of target cloning was performed by DNA sequencing. The created constructions were transferred by electroporation to the agrobacterial strain AGL0. Currently, the created vectors are used for the agrobacterial transformation of sorghum plants.

Accurate prediction of nutritional value of sorghum grain using image analysis

ABSTRACT1. This study evaluated the application of L (lightness)*a (redness) and *b (blueness) colour analysis and chemical compositions to predict the nutritional value of sorghum grain.2. A total of 12 varieties of sorghum grain were analysed for L*a*b colours, chemical composition, energy and total and digestible amino acid content. Regression models based on the linear, non-linear and the interaction effects of inputs were applied to predict the nutritional value of sorghum grains either using L*a*b colour or chemical composition, as the model inputs.3. The results illustrated a significant relationship between a*b and/or chemical compositions with energy content in the samples of sorghum grain. The provided estimation equations presented high goodness of fit in terms of R2adj ranging from 0.744 to 0.999.4. Total and digestible amino acids of sorghum grain were estimated based on a*b and chemical compositions data with the goodness of fit ranging from 0.641 to 0.999 (R2adj).5. In conclusion, the L*a*b colour analysis may be used for developing equations to predict nutritional value of sorghum grain as an alternative approach to the conventional time-consuming and costly chemical and bioassay methods.

Effect of solid state fermentation with Rhizopus oryzae on biochemical and structural characteristics of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a major cereal consumed widely in Asian and African countries as a human food, while in other countries it is consumed as a feed. Despite having an adequate nutrient content, its use in food is limited, mainly due to the content of antinutritional factors such as condensed tannins. Fermentation technology has been shown to improve the nutritional characteristics of products and help to decrease the content of these anti-nutritional compounds. The study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the solid-state fermentation (SSF) process with Rhizopus oryzae (MUCL 28168) on the chemical composition, physical-structural characteristics and nutritional value of sorghum grains. The physical structure of the sorghum starch granules was modified during the fermentation process due to the action of the enzymes, mainly amylases, produced by the microorganism. The results showed that the total carbohydrate content decreased by 1.74%, while the crude protein content increased by 23.87%. Moreover, there was an increase of 19.62% in protein digestibility. For the amino acids, some increased their concentration while others decreased it. An important result was that the lysine and tryptophan content were higher at the end of the fermentation. The fermentation process improved the nutritional characteristics of sorghum, therefore the use of sorghum can be considered for human and animal consumption.

Impact of water addition, germination, ensiling and their association on sorghum grain nutritive value

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of water addition, germination, ensiling and/or their association with respect to chemical composition and nutritive value of dry sorghum grain. Five commercial paddocks of sorghum grain were harvested dry and evaluated for chemical composition, digestion site and in vitro gas production under six treatment conditions: dry ground (dry), soaked for 24h (SG), germinated for 5 days (G), germinated for 5 days and then ensiled for 21 days (G&E), ensiled for 21 days as whole grain (EWG) or ensiled for 21 days as ground grain (EGG). Soaked, EWG and G&E treatments led to a lower starch content compared to dry grains (P<0.05). Reconstituted and ensiled treatments (either as whole or ground grain) decreased the tannin concentration compared to dry grains (P<0.05). The dry matter (DM) digestion site and total tract digestibility were similar among dry grains, G and EWG. However, compared to these treatments, G&E and EGG increased ruminal and total DM digestibility (P<0.05). Total tract DM digestibility did not differ between SG and dry grains; however, SG affected DM digestion site (P<0.05). Starch digestion site and total tract digestibility were similar between dry grains and EGG. Although G&E and EWG had similar total starch digestibility in comparison with dry grains, these treatments affected the digestion site (P<0.05). Soaked and G treatments reduced total tract digestibility and changed the starch digestion site compared to dry grains (P<0.05). In vitro fermentation of dry grains was similar to SG and EWG. Although the total in vitro gas production was less for G&E and EGG than dry grains (P<0.05), these treatments fermented more rapidly than dry grains (P<0.05). The soaking, the germination process, or the ensiling of whole sorghum grain as sole factors, produced changes in the chemical composition but did not improve the nutritive value of sorghum grain. However, the combination of germination and ensiling resulted in changes in the chemical composition and improved the digestibility of sorghum grains. The grinding of grain before reconstitution and ensiling is an alternative to increase the sorghum grain digestibility and nutritive value.

In vitro protein digestibility in grain sorghum: effect of genotype and interaction with starch digestibility

Improvement of nutritive value is one of the main goals of sorghum breeding. It is known that one of the reasons of relatively poor nutritive value of sorghum grain is resistance of its seed storage proteins (kafirins) to protease digestion that also affects digestibility of starch. To study genetic aspects and interdependency of these traits we investigated in vitro protein and starch digestibility of the flour of 12 grain sorghum lines and six F1 hybrids. Comparison of SDS-PAGE spectra of total grain proteins before and after pepsin digestion revealed that the F1 hybrids had significantly lower indices of protein digestibility than parental lines, with the exception of the F1 hybrid M35-1A KB/KVV-45, which retained high level of protein digestibility typical for KVV-45 line. The level of starch digestibility in the F1 hybrids corresponded to its level in maternal lines suggesting importance of maternal genotype in determination of this trait. It was found that starch digestion by amylolytic enzymes increased the amount of protein in individual kafirin fractions, and reduced the amount of high molecular weight proteins as well it reduced subsequent kafirin digestion by pepsin and caused formation of polypeptide (Mr ~45 kDa), perhaps, the kafirin dimer, resistant to pepsin digestion. These data are of importance for fundamental investigation of factors influencing kafirins and starch interactions in sorghum endosperm and their digestibility.

Fermentation and enzyme treatments for sorghum.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) is the fifth most produced cereal worldwide. However, some varieties of this cereal contain antinutritional factors, such as tannins and phytate that may form stable complexes with proteins and minerals which decreases digestibility and nutritional value. The present study sought to diminish antinutritional tannins and phytate present in sorghum grains. Three different treatments were studied for that purpose, using enzymes tannase (945 U/Kg sorghum), phytase (2640 U/Kg sorghum) and Paecilomyces variotii (1.6 X 107 spores/mL); A) Tannase, phytase and Paecilomyces variotii, during 5 and 10 days; B) An innovative blend made of tanase and phytase for 5 days followed by a Pv increase for 5 more days; C) a third treatment where the reversed order of B was used starting with Pv for 5 days and then the blend of tannase and phytase for 5 more days. The results have shown that on average the three treatments were able to reduce total phenols and both hydrolysable and condensed tannins by 40.6, 38.92 and 58.00 %, respectively. Phytase increased the amount of available inorganic phosphorous, on the average by 78.3 %. The most promising results concerning tannins and phytate decreases were obtained by the enzymes combination of tannase and phytase. The three treatments have shown effective on diminishing tannin and phytate contents in sorghum flour which leads us to affirm that the proposed treatments can be used to increase the nutritive value of sorghum grains destined for either animal feeds or human nutrition.

Estimation and modeling true metabolizable energy of sorghum grain for poultry

Sorghum grain is an important ingredient in poultry diets. The TMEn content of sorghum grain is a measure of its quality. As for the other feed ingredients, the biological procedure used to determine the TMEn value of sorghum grain is costly and time consuming. Therefore, it is necessary to find an alternative method to accurately estimate the TMEn content. In this study, 2 methods of regression and artificial neural network (ANN) were developed to describe the TMEn value of sorghum grain based on chemical composition of ash, crude fiber, CP, ether extract, and total phenols. A total of 144 sorghum samples were used to determine chemical composition and TMEn content using chemical analyses and bioassay technique, respectively. The values were consequently subjected to regression and ANN analysis. The fitness of the models was tested using R2 values, MS error, and bias. The developed regression and ANN models could accurately predict the TMEn of sorghum samples from their chemical composition. The goodness of fit in terms of R2 values corresponding to testing and training of the ANN model showed a higher accuracy of prediction than the equation established by regression method. In terms of MS error, the ANN model showed lower residuals distribution than the regression model. The results suggest that the ANN model may be used to accurately estimate the TMEn value of sorghum grain from its corresponding chemical composition.

Study of chemical compositions, anti-nutritional contents and digestibility of electron beam irradiated sorghum grains

Effects of electron beam irradiation at doses of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 kGy on chemical composition, phytate and tannin contents, and in vivo digestibility of sorghum grain were investigated. Irradiation had no effect ( p > 0.05) on chemical compositions. Tannin content was reduced ( p < 0.05) by 28%, 30%, 42%, 83% and 86% and phytate content reduced ( p < 0.05) by 39%, 49%, 66%, 79% and 90% in electron beam irradiated compared to control, respectively. Irradiation improved ( p < 0.05) in vivo digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, true protein and gross energy. Based upon these results, electron beam irradiation was judged to be a useful processing method for reducing the anti-nutritional compounds and therefore, improving nutritive value of sorghum grain.

Characterization of kafirin composition and in vitro digestibility in CMS‐lines, fertility restorers and F1 hybrids with the new types of CMS‐inducing cytoplasms of sorghum

AbstractOne of the reasons of poor nutritive value of sorghum grain is resistance of its seed storage proteins (kafirins) to protease digestion. To reveal sorghum entries with increased kafirin digestibility, the sodium dodecyl sulfate – polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) of endosperm proteins of 10 lines [cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)‐lines and fertility restorers] and five F1 hybrids before and after pepsin digestion was carried out. For quantitative estimation of kafirin digestibility the SDS‐PAGE banding patterns were scanned by laser densitometer. Significant variability for both individual fractions and total kafirin digestibility was found. The line KVV‐45, fertility restorer for the Indian ‘M35‐1A’ type of CMS, had the highest level of kafirin digestibility (30% and 25% of undigested γ‐ and α1‐kafirins, respectively), while in some entries 80–90% of kafirins remained undigested. Increased α1‐kafirin digestibility coincided with relatively high γ‐kafirin digestibility. High‐molecular weight kafirins (HMWK) (45 kDa and 66 kDa) resistant to pepsin digestion were found in some lines, the F1 hybrids had the same HMWK as parental lines. These data demonstrate possibility for isolation of sorghum genotypes with increased nutritive value by screening their flour for in vitro protein digestibility.

Digestibility of protein and starch from sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor) is linked to biochemical and structural features of grain endosperm

Although a principal source of energy and protein for millions of the world's poorest people, the nutritional value of sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is diminished because of low digestibility of grain protein and starch. To address this problem, we analyzed the properties of two sorghum lines that have a common pedigree but differ in digestibility. Consistent with results based on a ruminal fluid assay, the protein and starch of one line (KS48) was more thoroughly digested than that of the other (KS51) using in vitro assays based on pepsin and α-amylase. The indigestibility of KS51 relative to KS48 was shown to be due to (i) a greater abundance of disulfide-bonded proteins; (ii) presence in KS51 of non-waxy starch and the accompanying granule-bound starch synthase; and (iii) the differing nature of the protein matrix and its interaction with starch. The current findings suggest that each of these factors should be considered in efforts to enhance the nutritional value of sorghum grain.

Effects of Cellulase Enzymes and Bacterial Feed Additives on the Nutritional Value of Sorghum Grain for Finishing Pigs

One hundred and twenty-eight finishing pigs (113 lb average initial body wt) were used to determine the effects of adding cellulase enzyme and Bacillus bacteria to sorghum-based diets on growth performance, carcass merit, and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs. Treatments were: 1) corn-soybean meal-based positive control; 2) sorghum-soybean meal-based negative control; 3) Diet 2 with cellulase; and 4) Diet 2 with a bacterial feed additive (i.e., a mixture of Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus pumilus). There was a trend for greater average daily gain in pigs fed corn vs the sorghum treatments from d 0 to 28, but there was no effect of treatment on overall average daily gain (i.e., d 0 to 63). Overall feed consumption was not affected by treatment, but pigs fed the corn-based diet had 3% greater efficiency of gain compared to pigs fed the sorghum diets. Dressing percentage was not affected by treatment, but there was a trend for fat thickness at the last rib to be greater for pigs fed corn vs the sorghum treatments. Pigs fed corn had greater apparent digestibilities of dry matter, nitrogen, and gross energy than pigs fed the sorghum treatments. In conclusion, pigs fed the cornbased control diet had greater growth performance but tended to be fatter than pigs fed sorghum. Adding cellulase and the bacterial feed additive did not affect growth performance, carcass merit, or nutrient utilization in finishing pigs. (

Effects of cellulase enzyme and a bacterial feed additive on the nutritional value of sorghum grain for finishing pigs (1993)

One hundred and twenty-eight finishing pigs (113 lb average initial body wt) were used to determine the effects of adding cellulase enzyme and Bacillus bacteria to sorghum-based diets on growth performance, carcass merit, and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs. Treatments were: 1) corn-soybean meal-based positive control; 2) sorghum-soybean meal-based negative control; 3) Diet 2 with cellulase; and 4) Diet 2 with a bacterial feed additive (i.e., a mixture of Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus pumilus). There was a trend for greater average daily gain in pigs fed corn vs the sorghum treatments from d 0 to 28, but there was no effect of treatment on overall average daily gain (i.e., d 0 to 63). Overall feed consumption was not affected by treatment, but pigs fed the corn-based diet had 3% greater efficiency of gain compared to pigs fed the sorghum diets. Dressing percentage was not affected by treatment, but there was a trend for fat thickness at the last rib to be greater for pigs fed corn vs the sorghum treatments. Pigs fed corn had greater apparent digestibilities of dry matter, nitrogen, and gross energy than pigs fed the sorghum treatments. In conclusion, pigs fed the cornbased control diet had greater growth performance but tended to be fatter than pigs fed sorghum. Adding cellulase and the bacterial feed additive did not affect growth performance, carcass merit, or nutrient utilization in finishing pigs.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 18,1993

Selection for increased in vitro digestibility improves feeding value of sorghum grain (1991)

Selection for increased in vitro digestibility improves feeding value of sorghum grain (1991)