Cactus Cladodes and Sugarcane Bagasse Can Partially Replace Earless Corn Silage in Diets of Lactating Dairy Cows

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Oct 26, 2023

Review report 

dairy-2671637

Cactus cladodes and sugarcane bagasse can partially replace earless corn silage in diets of lactating dairy cows

Izaac P. S. Medeiros1 , Sebastião I. Guido3 , Marco A. S. Gama4 , Carlos H. M. Silva2 , Michelle C. B. Siqueira1,* , 4 Camila S. da Silva1 , Antonio J. Netto1 , Silas B. Felix1 , Milena N. Rabelo1 , Thayane V. M. Santos1 , Maria, A. M. 5 Leite1 and Marcelo A. Ferreira1 

1 Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Dom Manoel de Medeiros Street, 7 Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil  

2 Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Agreste of Pernambuco, Bom Pastor Avenue, Boa  Vista, Garanhus, Pernambuco, Brazil 

3 Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco, KM 03 Capoeiras St, São Bento do Una 55370-000, Brazil 

4 Embrapa Southeast Livestock, Washington Luiz Road, Km 234, São Carlos 13560-970, Brazil 

* Correspondence: [email protected]

Summary Rating

Originality:  fair

Technical Quality:  fair to good 

Clarity of Presentation:  fair to good 

Importance to field:  fair

Evaluation: 

This manuscript will be acceptable after moderate revision

Comments: 

The manuscript aims to o evaluate the effects of substituting earless corn silage (ECS) for cactus cladodes (CC; Opuntia spp.) plus sugarcane bagasse (SB) on nutrient intake and digestibility, feeding behavior, and milk yield (MY) and composition of lactating dairy cows. Authors concluded that in production systems that determine milk pricing based on milk fat content, they recommend the substitution of 38.6% of ECS with CC plus SB. However, in systems where payment relies solely on milk volume, the 63.9% replacement level may be most advantageous.

The originality is fair, the work is useful locally in the feeds and ruminant nutrition areas. The technical quality and clarity of presentation are good. The manuscript is well-written. I recommend that this manuscript will be acceptable after moderate revision, particularly in statistical analysis.

Please see the following for my suggestions to be considered: 

• Statistical analysis section: LSD design is a special case of repeated measures. Suggested authors use Mixed model procedure and test variance and co-variance assumption structures (such as SIM, CS, AR(1), UN, etc) for your measures paramters, then find the best variance and co-variance structure and do final analysis. In this way, you will get accurate results.  

• SEM decimal should be one more decimal point than treatment data. For example, if Trt xx.xx (two decimal points), SEM should be x.xxx (three decimal points).

• In OPC study (orthogonal polynomial contrast) you test Linear and Quadratic, please add Cubic p value.

• Data with unit g/kg DM, please remove decimal number.   For example, Tables 1 and 2. 

• Add SD in Table 1 and 2 data tables to show variation.  

It is an interesting research project. 

see the above

Author Response

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Title: Cactus cladodes and sugarcane bagasse can partially replace earless

corn silage in diets of lactating dairy cows

Authors: Izaac P S Medeiros, Sebastião I Guido, Marco A. S. Gama, Carlos H M

Silva, Michelle C. B. Siqueira *, Camila S. da Silva, Antonio J Netto, Silas

B. Felix, Milena N. Rabelo, Thayane V M Santos, Maria A M Leite, Marcelo de

A. Ferreira

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting earless corn silage (ECS) for cactus cladodes (CC; Opuntia spp.) plus sugarcane bagasse (SB) on nutrient intake and digestibility, feeding behavior, and milk yield (MY) and composition of lactating dairy cows. Even though this manuscript is interesting, a minor concern needs to be addressed before further consideration.

Please see the specific comment in PDF file and reply to my comment point-by-point. 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

 Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Por favor, verifique o anexo

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

In response to the comments, the authors have provided a clear response and recommend that they be accepted.

Author Response

We would like to thank you for your valuable considerations. Really our paper improved a lot after the corrections suggested by the reviewers.