Theme 21: Forage Conservation
Description
The experiment was conducted at UNESP-Jaboticabal to evaluate the quality of Brachiaria decumbens hays harvested after seed ripening. The hays were submitted to the following treatments: control, anhydrous ammonia (3.0% NH3 in the DM), and urea (5.0% in the DM). The chemical composition, digestibility and the performance of steers were evaluated using a complete randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. The ammoniation either with NH3 or urea increased (P< 0.05) the CP content, and the IVDMD. The NH3 treatment reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of NDF and ADF, and the urea application reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of hemicellulose and lignin. The ammoniation did not affect (P > 0.05) the neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen, and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen values. Steers receiving Brachiaria hay plus soybean meal (1.08 kg DM.day), hay treated with NH3 plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day ), and hay treated with urea plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day) showed DM intake of 1.97; 2.23; and 1.90% BW; weight gains of 0.60; 0.53; and 0.37 kg/ day, and feed conversion of 10.8; 12.8; and 16.9 kg of DM/ kg WG, respectively.
Included in
Quality of Ammoniated Brachiaria decumbens Hay
The experiment was conducted at UNESP-Jaboticabal to evaluate the quality of Brachiaria decumbens hays harvested after seed ripening. The hays were submitted to the following treatments: control, anhydrous ammonia (3.0% NH3 in the DM), and urea (5.0% in the DM). The chemical composition, digestibility and the performance of steers were evaluated using a complete randomized block design with three treatments and six replications. The ammoniation either with NH3 or urea increased (P< 0.05) the CP content, and the IVDMD. The NH3 treatment reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of NDF and ADF, and the urea application reduced (P < 0.05) the contents of hemicellulose and lignin. The ammoniation did not affect (P > 0.05) the neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen, and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen values. Steers receiving Brachiaria hay plus soybean meal (1.08 kg DM.day), hay treated with NH3 plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day ), and hay treated with urea plus corn meal (1.14 kg DM/day) showed DM intake of 1.97; 2.23; and 1.90% BW; weight gains of 0.60; 0.53; and 0.37 kg/ day, and feed conversion of 10.8; 12.8; and 16.9 kg of DM/ kg WG, respectively.
