The nutritive value of banana (Musa acuminata L.) by-products for maintaining goats

The nutritive value of banana by-products (leaves, pseudostems and raceme s tems) for goats was studied by rumen degradability and in vitro digestibili ty techniques, voluntary intake and maintenance trials. Banana by-products had both a relatively low degradability and digestibility, with derived met abolizable energy content (MJ ME per kg dry matter (DM)) of 6.54 for leaves , 6.66 for pseudostems and 8.24 for raceme stems. Daily voluntary intake (g DM per kg M-0.75) was 66.4 for leaves, 19.3 for pseudostems, and 15.3 for raceme stems. On these results, pseudostems and raceme stems would provide less than 0.30 of maintenance ME needs of goats. However, rations based onl y on banana leaves should meet move than 0.85 of the maintenance energy nee ds.