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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Nutritional potential, in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics and methanogenesis of stover from newer cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) in buffalo

Avijit Dey https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2815-8654 A C , Shyam S. Paul A , Akula V. Umakanth B , Basrur V. Bhat B , Puran C. Lailer A and Satbir S. Dahiya A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Division of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, ICAR Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, Haryana 125001, India.

B Division of Plant Genetics and Breeding, ICAR Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500030, India.

C Corresponding author. Email: avijitcirb@gmail.com

Animal Production Science 60(17) 1969-1977 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19150
Submitted: 16 March 2019  Accepted: 21 May 2020   Published: 7 July 2020

Abstract

Context: In developing countries of south Asia and Africa, cereal crop residues provide important fodder resources for ruminants. Genetic improvement through plant breeding for high-quality crop residues as well as for grain yield is gaining in demand among mixed crop–livestock farmers.

Aims: The present study investigated the potential nutritional quality, in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics, gas production, enzyme activities and methane production of stover of newly developed brown midrib cultivars of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) compared with other cultivars in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Methods: Stover from seven sorghum cultivars – brown midrib sorghum (SPV-2017, SPV-2018), normal grain sorghum (CSV-27), forage sorghum (SSG-59-3, CSV-32F) and sweet sorghum (CSH 22SS, CSV 24SS) – was analysed for chemical composition. Stover samples (200 ± 5 mg dry matter) from each cultivar were incubated with buffered rumen fluid (30 mL) in 100-mL calibrated glass syringes at 39°C for 72 h following a standard in vitro gas-production protocol for gas production and fermentation kinetics.

Key results: Stover chemical composition varied significantly (P < 0.05) among cultivars, with highest organic matter in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 and lowest in sweet sorghum CSV-24SS. Acid detergent lignin was lowest in stover of the brown midrib cultivars (1.27% in SPV-2018 and 1.67% in SPV-2017) and highest in forage sorghum SSG-59-3 (9.42%). The brown midrib cultivars showed highest (P < 0.001) total gas production, truly degradable dry matter, organic matter digestibility and metabolisable energy content. The brown midrib cultivars and forage sorghum CSV-32F had highest (P < 0.05) production of volatile fatty acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate) and activity of ruminal enzymes (carboxymethyl cellulase and xylanase) during fermentation.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that stover from brown midrib sorghum cultivars (SPV-2017 and SPV-2018) and forage sorghum CSV-32F could be preferred over stover of other cultivars for animal feed owing to their potential for enhanced utilisation.

Implications: This study provides information on nutritional quality of stover from newly developed sorghum cultivars for large-scale utilisation as animal feed in smallholder production systems of developing countries.

Additional keywords: fermentation pattern.


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