NUTRITIONAL-EVALUATION OF SILAGE MADE FROM THE TOXIC WEED PARTHENIUM-HYSTEROPHORUS IN ANIMALS

After ensilation, the toxic Compositae weed Parthenium hysterophorus w as devoid of the toxic principle parthenin. Laboratory-scale ensilatio n indicated that no parthenin was detectable after 5 wk of anaerobic f ermentation. For animal feeding studies, silage was made on a large sc ale from Parthenium mixed with maize or from Parthenium alone. Crossbr ed bull and buffalo bull calves were fed diets containing the silages, or control diet without silage, for 12 wk. The animals consumed both silages with relish, and body weight gains of silage-fed calves did no t differ from those of the controls. The digestibilities of dry matter , fibre and nitrogen-free extract were greater with the control diet, but the biological value of proteins tended to be greater with the sil age-containing diets. Haematological studies indicated no significant differences between experimental and control groups in selected parame ters, except for a reduction in blood urea nitrogen in the animals fed silage. The possible causes for these biochemical alterations are dis cussed. Since the nutritive value of Parthenium silage compares favour ably with the standard diet, and Parthenium seeds collected from the s ilage did not germinate, we suggest that ensilation can be used as an additional method in the containment and eradication of these plants, which grow wild in India.