LIME TREATMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES TO IMPROVE RUMEN DIGESTIBILITY

Bagasse, bajra (african millet, Pennisetum typhoideum), jowar (indian millet, Sorghum vulgare) and tobacco stalks were treated with lime to increase the rate and extent of dry matter digestibility. All four mat erials were treated with 10 g Ca(OH)(2)/100 g dry biomass at 100 degre es C for 1 to 2 h. The residual calcium in the biomass after lime trea tment and washing was 1.5 to 2.7 g/100 g dry lime-treated biomass. Sam ples of each biomass were placed in fine-mesh nylon bags which, in tur n, were placed in the rumen of a cannulated steer. The bags were remov ed at periodic intervals and analyzed for dry matter digestibility, ne utral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber. After lime treatment and addition of water-extracted solubles, the 48-h dry matter digestib ilities were: bagasse, 62.7% treated vs. 30.8% untreated; bajra, 89.9% treated vs. 45.1% untreated; jowar, 82.9% treated vs. 54.1% untreated ; and tobacco stalks, 67.9% treated vs. 34.4% untreated. In each case, lime treatment approximately doubled the digestibility making it an e ffective method to upgrade the rumen digestibility of agricultural res idues. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.