Search Results (5)

Agricultural byproducts, including pineapple peel (PP), are valuable feed additives which support the livestock industry. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding the optimal amount of PP required to achieve optimal fermentation in silage. This study examines the impact of ensiling mixtures of equal proportions of fresh Napier grass (NG) and sugarcane top (ST) with varying levels of PP (0% [C], 10% [P1], 20% [P2], and 30% [P3]) on fermentation quality, microbiological profiles, and in vitro ruminal digestion. Compared to the C silage, the dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber contents decreased in the silage treated with increasing PP (p < 0.05). P1 exhibited lower (p > 0.05) pH, higher (p > 0.05) lactic acid content, and lower (p < 0.05) NH₃-N content than other silage. The Chao 1, ACE index, and relative abundance of Lacticaseibacillus and Lactobacillales were decreased following the order of C > P1 > P2 > P3 (p < 0.05). Although there were no significant differences observed in most vitro ruminal fermentation parameters among four silages (p > 0.05), P1 exhibited higher total gas production, total volatile fatty acid, acetate acid, acetate-to-propionate ratio, and lower pH than the other silages. These results demonstrated that a NG and ST mixture co-ensiling with appropriate PP enhances the NG and ST mixture silage quality, and the optimum addition ratio for PP was 10% on a fresh matter basis. Full article

The co-ensiling technique is widely used to improve silage quality; however, it remains unclear as to what high-quality silages can be made by co-ensiling Napier grass (NG) with Sugarcane top (ST). The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentation characteristics, chemical composition, and microbiological profile of silage produced from mixtures of NG and ST in varying ratios. Silage was prepared using a small-scale fermentation system, and treatments were designed as control silage (NG ensiled alone) or with 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%ST on a fresh matter basis with six replicates, respectively. Increasing ST in the silage reduced the contents of crude protein, ash, acetic acid, butyric acid, ammonia-N, as well as pH, but increased the contents of dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, water-soluble carbohydrate, lactic acid, and lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillales and Enterobacterales were the dominant orders, with Lactiplantibacillus and Weissella as the dominant genera. Co-ensiling NG with ST enhanced microbial diversity and richness. ST, as a local by-product, is a viable additive to improve NG silage quality and nutrition. This study suggests that good-quality silages can be produced with NG: ST ratios of 40:60 to 20:80 and that these silages offer an opportunity to optimize the nutrient supply for ruminants. Full article

The quantity and quality of forage and fodder crops is the major drawback of the livestock sector in the country. There is a need to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of fodder through the adoption of specific sustainable fodder production strategies. The field experiments were conducted during kharif (rainy, June–October), rabi (post-rainy, October–February), and summer (March–May) seasons of 2018–19 and 2019–20 to identify a sustainable fodder cropping system module in randomized complete block design with fifteen fodder cropping systems in three replications. The main objective of this research was to identify the most productive cereal–legume cropping system, both in terms of quantity and quality of biomass, to reduce the gap between supply and demand of quality livestock feed around the year. Among cropping systems, Bajra–Napier hybrid intercropped with lucerne, cowpea, and sesbania recorded significantly higher green fodder (163.6, 155.2, and 144.0 t/ha/year, respectively) and dry matter yields (32.1, 30.8, and 31.3 t/ha/year, respectively). Similarly, the same perennial systems also recorded higher quality yield and ash content. However, higher crude protein content was noticed in monocrop legumes, with the highest in sesbania (22.32%), while higher ether extractable fat was found in monocrop sesbania (3.78%). The monocrop oats recorded higher non-fiber carbohydrates (36.90%) while a monocrop of pearl millet recorded higher total carbohydrates (80.75%), however they were on par with other monocrop cereal cropping systems. Cultivation of legumes as a monocrop, and their inclusion as an intercrop with cereals resulted in lower fiber fractions and improved crude protein in intercropping systems. Furthermore, this improved the dry matter intake and digestibility of fodder. With higher sustainable yield index values and land-use efficiency, perennial intercropping systems were also found to be sustainable. Thus, cultivation of the Bajra–Napier hybrid with either lucerne, cowpea, or sesbania as an intercrop will help livestock farmers to achieve higher productivity in terms of quantity and quality, and forms a viable option for overcoming livestock feed scarcity. Full article

The purpose of the study is to investigate the utilisation of Napier fiber (Pennisetum purpureum) as a source for the fabrication of cellulose nanofibers (CNF). In this study, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from Napier fiber were isolated via ball-milling assisted by acid hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis with different molarities (1.0, 3.8 and 5.6 M) was performed efficiently facilitate cellulose fiber size reduction. The resulting CNFs were characterised through Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analyser (PSA), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The FTIR results demonstrated that there were no obvious changes observed between the spectra of the CNFs with different molarities of acid hydrolysis. With 5.6 M acid hydrolysis, the XRD analysis displayed the highest degree of CNF crystallinity at 70.67%. In a thermal analysis by TGA and DTG, cellulose nanofiber with 5.6 M acid hydrolysis tended to produce cellulose nanofibers with higher thermal stability. As evidenced by the structural morphologies, a fibrous network nanostructure was obtained under TEM and AFM analysis, while a compact structure was observed under FESEM analysis. In conclusion, the isolated CNFs from Napier-derived cellulose are expected to yield potential to be used as a suitable source for nanocomposite production in various applications, including pharmaceutical, food packaging and biomedical fields. Full article

The evaluation of forage crops for adaptability and performance across production systems and environments is one of the main strategies used to improve forage production. To enhance the genetic resource base and identify traits responsible for increased feed potential of Napier grass, forty-five genotypes from Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Brazil, were evaluated for forage biomass yield and feed nutritional quality in a replicated trial under wet and dry season conditions in Ethiopia. The results revealed significant variation in forage yield and feed nutritional qualities among the genotypes and between the wet and dry seasons. Feed fiber components were lower in the dry season, while crude protein, in vitro organic matter digestibility, and metabolizable energy were higher. Based on the cumulative biomass and metabolizable energy yield, top performing genotypes were identified that are candidates for future forage improvement studies. Furthermore, the marker-trait association study identified diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and SilicoDArT markers and potential candidate genes that could differentiate high biomass yielding and high metabolizable energy genotypes in the collection. Full article