Sn. Rai et Vd. Mudgal, EFFECT OF ALKALI AND (OR) STEAM TREATMENT OF WHEAT-STRAW OR CELLULASEAUGMENTED CONCENTRATE MIXTURE ON RUMEN FERMENTATION IN GOATS, Small ruminant research, 19(3), 1996, pp. 219-225
Four diets; untreated wheat straw plus concentrate mixture (CS), sodiu
m hydroxide (5%, w/w) treated straw plus concentrate mixture (CA), sod
ium hydroxide (5%, w/w) and steam pressure (1 kg, cm(-2), 1 h) treated
straw plus concentrate mixture (GAS), and untreated straw plus cellul
ase augmented concentrate mixture (CES), were offered to goats to meas
ure intake and ruminal parameters. The rumen fluids withdrawn at 0, 1,
2, 4, 6 and 8 h post feeding were analysed for pH, TVFA and its fract
ions as well as nitrogen fractions. The consumption of treated straw i
n CA or CAS groups was increased (P<0.01) over untreated straw. Simila
rly the total dry matter intake per day, per 100 kg body weight or per
kg W-0.75 was higher (P<0.01) in CAS than in other groups. The rumina
l pH was higher (P<0.01) in CA groups but lower (P<0.01), in CAS than
in other groups, while TVFA concentration remained higher (P<0.01) in
both CA or CAS diets compared with CS or CES diets. The fractional VFA
remained similar amongst treatment groups. However, NPN, NH3-N and so
luble-N were lower (P<0.01) in CA or CAS groups than in others. Total-
N and protein-N content remained similar amongst treatments. It is con
cluded that alkali plus steam treatment of wheat straw was the best me
thod to improve the rumen fermentation process and enhance the availab
ility of energy from native straw.