THE FIXATION OF NITROGEN USING ACID, GREEN FORAGE AND GERMINATED BARLEY DURING UREA TREATMENT OF STRAWS

In the treatment of gram straw hydrochloric acid had a more significan t (P<0.01) effect than sulphuric acid in lowering the loss of ammonia nitrogen from 45.88% in control to 16.28% using 7.5% urea at a 40% (F- 4) fixation level as compared with 30% (F-3), 20% (F-2) and 10% (F-1). Treatment of gram straw (Cicer arietinum) for 28 days with 7.5% urea having 44.88% moisture at F-4 could significantly (P<0.01) check the l oss of ammonia and enhance the crude protein (CP) content to 19.37%. I n Experiment 2, the loss of nitrogen was effectively reduced from 35% (T-0) to 22% (T-1) and 21% (T-2) by means of sulphuric acid (10.18 g k g(-1) dry matter (DM)) and green sorghum (Sorghum vulgaris) mixed with wheat straw in the ratio of 1:2 at the time of storage. The relative retention of nitrogen (g day(-1)) in male buffalo calves was significa ntly (P<0.05) superior in T-1 (53.31) and T-2 (45.58) than T-0 (35.42) . The digestible CP (DCP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) values o f urea treated wheat straw were 7.10%, 8.33%, 6.49%, 57.90%, 55.64% an d 62.58% in respective treatments. During Experiment 3, untreated whea t straw plus concentrate mixture, 20% CP (T-3), urea (7.5%) treated st raw, US (T-4), urea treated straw plus acid (23 g kg(-1) DM) (T-5), an d urea treated straw plus germinated barley 24% (T-6) were fed to buff alo calves in four groups. The daily body weight gain (g day(-1)) was significantly (P<0.01) greater in T-6 (640.15) followed by T-5 (556.80 ), T-4 (499.99) and T-3 (458.32). Cost per kg gain in body weight (Rs. ) was minimum in T-6 (12.47) followed by T-4 (14.15), T-5 (14.99) and T-3 (23.45). The loss of nitrogen was considerably lowered from 51.3% (T-4) to 19.07% (T-5) using sulphuric acid at farm scale. Urea treated straw with 24% germinated barley, containing 13.39% CP, 8.33% DCP and 58.54% TDN, may be an economical complete ration for growing buffalo calves replacing native protein completely.