Methane Emission, Carbon Footprint and Productivity of Specialized Dairy Cows Supplemented with Bitter Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) supplementation on enteric methane (CH4) emissions, carbon footprint, and production parameters in dairy cows. Daily concentrate supply for Jersey and Jersey * Holstein breeds was evaluated in four treatments (T): T1: 100% commercial concentrate; T2: 70% concentrate + 30% cassava leaves; T3: 70% concentrate + 30% cassava roots; and T4: 70% concentrate + 15% cassava leaves + 15% cassava root chips. Measurements of CH4 emissions were performed using the polytunnel technique. Average daily dry matter intake ranged from 7.8 to 8.5 kg dry matter (DM). Cassava leaves were characterized by a high crude protein (CP) content (171 g CP/kg DM), with 5 times more neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content than cassava root (587 vs. 108 g NDF/kg DM). Average enteric CH4 emissions per animal ranged from 194 to 234 g/d (p > 0.05). The carbon footprint was reduced by replacing 30% of the concentrate with cassava leaves and/or roots. Energy-corrected milk production was 1.15 times higher in Jersey * Holstein animals than Jersey cows (47 vs. 55 kg). Therefore, supplementation with cassava leaves and/or roots is a nutritionally and environmentally sustainable strategy.

Silage preparation and sustainable livestock production of natural woody plant

As the global population increases and the economy grows rapidly, the demand for livestock products such as meat, egg and milk continue to increase. The shortage of feed in livestock production is a worldwide problem restricting the development of the animal industry. Natural woody plants are widely distributed and have a huge biomass yield. The fresh leaves and branches of some woody plants are rich in nutrients such as proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and can be used to produce storage feed such as silage for livestock. Therefore, the development and utilization of natural woody plants for clean fermented feed is important for the sustainable production of livestock product. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the research progress, current status and development prospects of forageable natural woody plant feed resources. The nutritional composition and uses of natural woody plants, the main factors affecting the fermentation of woody plant silage and the interaction mechanism between microbial co-occurrence network and secondary metabolite are reviewed. Various preparation technologies for clean fermentation of woody plant silage were summarized comprehensively, which provided a sustainable production mode for improving the production efficiency of livestock and producing high-quality livestock product. Therefore, woody plants play an increasingly important role as a potential natural feed resource in alleviating feed shortage and promoting sustainable development of livestock product.

Improving live weight gain of crossbred Limousin bulls with cassava peel silage

There is a growing demand for beef products across developing countries. Formulating rations to include locally available waste products has the potential to increase the live weight gain (LWG) of cattle and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers; however, upper limit inclusion levels of cassava peel products require investigation. An experiment evaluated the effect of using cassava peel silage (CPS) at the DM inclusion levels of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70% (with the remainder protein meals and maize stover in the diet) on the LWG of crossbred Limousin × Ongole bulls (269 ± 48.8 kg). Thirty bulls, approximately two years of age, were allocated in a completely randomised block design with six blocks based on initial live weight (LW) and five treatments based on level of CPS. The combination of CPS (with 2% urea of the CPS) and protein meals significantly affected LWG with the highest values obtained at levels of 30 and 50% inclusion of CPS (1.16-1.35 kg/day) (P < 0.05). Polynomial analysis of LWG data revealed the optimal LWG is theoretically achieved at 37% CPS with a LWG of 1.31 kg/day; however, LWG was similar from 30 to 50% inclusion levels and then declined. There was little significant difference at CPS inclusion levels of 30-60%, for DM intake (DMI) which ranged from 2.3 to 2.6% LW, organic matter (OM) digestibility (77.8-81.6%), feed conversion ratio (FCR) (6.56-7.56 kg DM/kg LWG) and feed cost of gain (Indonesia rupiah (IDR)/kg LW 18 612 - 21 398). At a high (70%) level of CPS inclusion, these values were markedly changed when compared to the 30% inclusion level of CPS. Feed treatments did not affect rumen pH, NH₃-N, concentration or molar percentage of volatile fatty acids or protozoal population (P < 0.05). Rumen pH measured three hours after morning feed ranged from 6.7 to 6.8 and NH₃-N ranged from 14.1 to 19.3 mg NH₃-N/dl. It was concluded that inclusion of CPS up to 60% mixed with protein meals and urea and 20% maize stover maximised LWG and profitability of the production system.

Use of spineless cactus associated with legume hay in the feedlot-finishing of lambs in semi-arid regions

The objective of this study were to examine the effects of diets containing spineless cactus associated with hays of different legume species [gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium), “catingueira” (Caesalpinia bracteosa), “sabiá” (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth) and “catanduva” (Piptadenia moniliformis Benth)] on the intake, digestibility, performance and carcass traits of lambs. Twenty-four ½ Santa Inês × ½ Soinga lambs with an average body weight of 21.4 ± 2.53 kg were distributed into four treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatments consisted of diets formulated with the association of spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) and hay of four legume species, namely, “catanduva”, “sabiá” “catingueira” and gliricidia. The lowest intakes (P<0.05) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and total carbohydrates occurred in the animals that received the diet containing catingueira hay. However, there were no diet effects (P>0.05) on the intakes of crude protein (CP), ether extract and non-fibrous carbohydrates. The diets also did not change (P>0.05) the weight gain (0.197 kg/day) or final weight (33.18 kg) of the lambs or the apparent digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP and NDF. Consequently, the parameters of live weight at slaughter (34.10 kg), hot carcass weight (14.81 kg), cold carcass weight (14.66 kg), hot carcass yield (45.60%) and cold carcass yield (45.07%) exhibited the no response to treatment. In addition to these variables, the diets also did not influence subcutaneous fat thickness (2.54 mm), longissimus muscle area (13.34 cm²), morphometric measurements of the carcass, or the proportions of muscle and fat. Therefore, legume hays associated with spineless cactus can be used to feed ½ Santa Inês × ½ Soinga lambs in the feedlot, as this strategy provides heavy animals at the time of slaughter and carcasses with desirable degrees of muscularity and adiposity.