ASSOCIATIVE EFFECT OF LIME PLUS UREA TREATMENT OF PADDY STRAW ON CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND IN-VITRO DIGESTIBILITY

Chopped paddy straw (0.5 to 1.5 cm long) was subjected to different tr eatment combinations in a 5 x 4 factorial arrangement involving the 5 levels of urea (0, 2, 3, 4 and 5% w/w) and 4 levels of lime (0, 2, 4 a nd 6% w/w) at 50% moisture for 3 weeks. Cell wall constituents (CWC) s olubilised significantly due to synergistic effect of urea plus lime t reatment. Crude protein increased with increased levels of urea additi on from 3.57% in untreated straw to 15.86% in different treatment comb inations. Lignin and silica of straw decreased with increasing concent rations of urea plus lime. In vitro digestibilities of DM and OM incre ased by 25.65 and 23.65 units, respectively, over untreated straw beca use of associative effect of urea with lime treatment in different com binations. Chemical and in vitro observations showed that a combinatio n of 3% urea plus 4% lime at 50% moisture for 3 weeks reaction time wa s the most effective treatment for improving digestibility of paddy st raw.