An experiment was conducted to assess the herbage yield and chemical composition of 4 varieties of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) harvested at 3 different days after planting. The varieties tested were obtained from ILRI (formerly ILCA) were Local, 16798, 16786 and 16840 and used in a 4x3 factorial arrangement of treatments with four replicate plots each. The herbage yield of the varieties were measured at 60, 90, 120 days after planting. The herbage of the varieties were harvested and separated into leaf and stem fractions. The results indicated that, dry matter (DM) herbage yield was significantly (P<0.05) higher for variety Local (41050 kg DM/ha) and 16798 (44,994 kg DM/ha) when compared to the other varieties. Harvesting at 120 days gave a significantly (P< 0.05) higher herbage yield (46,013 kg DM/ha) with the 60 days giving the lowest (22,489 kg DM/ha). Measurement from the chemical composition for the four varieties indicated that the Local variety yielded the highest CP (96.77 g/kg DM) and cellulose (420.8g/kg DM) compared with the other varieties. Hemicellulose was highest for varieties 16798 (252.3g/kg DM) compared to the other three varieties. The ADL was lower for variety 16798 (89.0g/kg DM) compared to the other varieties. Measurement from the chemical composition for the three harvesting days indicated that the 60 days harvest gave the highest CP (109.88 g/kg DM), lowest ADL (84.13g/kg DM) and the lowest DM (478.5g/kg). The cellulose fraction was highest for the 60 days harvest (427.6g/kg DM) with 120 days harvest recording the lowest (354.6g/kg DM). The hemicellulose fraction was lowest for the 60 days and highest for the 120 days after planting. Measurement from the chemical composition for the two fractions indicates that the leaf fraction recorded a higher CP (122.24g/kg DM) and lower ADL (105.83g/kg DM) compared to the stem. The stem fraction however recorded a higher cellulose fraction (406.9g/kg DM) compared to the leaf fraction. Hemicellulose was higher for the leaf fraction (240.0g/kg DM) compared to the stem fraction. The ADL was lowest for variety 16798. The herbage yield increased with increase in days after planting. The DM, hemicellulose and ADL increased with increase in days after planting. Crude protein and cellulose for the three different days after planting however decreased with increase in days after planting.. The results showed that varieties Local and 16798 had the highest CP and cellulose but lowest ADL contents. As expected, CP declined with age and NDF, ADF and ADL increased with increasing age of the grasses. Similarly, herbage yields were highest for Local and 16798 varieties. As expected, herbage yield increased but CP declined with age of the grasses. The DM for the leaf and stem fraction was almost the same. The CP and hemicellulose were higher for the leaf fraction. The cellulose and ADL were all lower for the leaf compared to the stem fraction. The results show the potential of Local and 16798 varieties as a ruminant feed in Ghana.
Abstract:The study was carried out to determine the extent to which antimicrobial drugs may be translocated into milk and the associated risk of exposure by consumers. A total of 394 milk samples were collected in the study sites in dry and wet seasons, and from different categories of milk market agents, including producers (farmers), processors, wholesalers (assemblers) and retailers. The milk samples were screened for antimicrobial drug residues using the Charm Aim-96 antimicrobial inhibition assay screening kit. Overall, 35.5% (140/394) of the milk samples collected were contaminated with one or more of the antimicrobial drugs screened. This translates into an average risk of exposure every third time a consumer drinks locally produced milk. There was no significant difference in contamination levels between season and area of sampling. Among market agents, contamination levels ranged from 16.6% (9/54) for wholesalers or milk assemblers to 54.2% (13/24) for milk processors. There were no significant differences in prevalence proportions of drug residues in milk from different types of traders between and within locations.
Experiment 1, with rams (17·0 kg initial weight (M)), and experiment 2, with steers (203 kg M), involved 2 × 2 arrangements of treatments to compare the effect of doubling the amount of stover offered (25 or 50 g/kg M daily) and chopping (unchopped or chopped), upon intake, selection and live-weight change. The stover used was a non-bird-resistant, local variety (Dinkamash). The particle length distribution of the chopped stover (produced by a tractor-driven chaff cutter) was: <4·5 mm, 0·148; 4·5 to 8 mm, 0·157; 8 to 12 mm, 0·181; 12 to 20 mm, 0·269; 20 to 33 mm, 0·168; 33 to 54 mm, 0·040; 54 to 90 mm, 0·003; >90mm, 0·034. The stover was supplemented with minerals and cottonseed cake (sheep, 0·1 kg dry matter (DM) per day; cattle, 0·76 kg DM per day). Experiment 1, over 56 days, involved 48 Menz Highland, 18-month-old, rams, with four replicate pens containing three rams. Experiment 2, over 49 days, used 32, individually penned, Friesian × zebu yearling steers. With rams, doubling the amount offered and chopping increased intake, and the effects were additive (unchopped: 0·98v.2·24; chopped: 1·08v.1·60 (s.e. 0·071) kg DM per pen per day). With steers, there was an amount × chopping interaction (P < 0·05) (unchopped: 3·7v.4·7 chopped: 3·6v.3·9 (s.e. 0·16) kg DM per day), with chopping reducing intake of stover offered at 50 g/kg M per day. Increased intakes were associated with increased growth rate. In both experiments refused stover contained less leaf-plus-sheath than offered stover but the difference was more pronounced in rams compared with steers indicating the superior selective ability of the rams. In rams offered unchopped stover, the increase in stover intake with increasing amount offered was accounted for by a proportional 1·03 unit increase in consumption of leaf-plus-sheath and a 0·06 unit reduction in intake of stem. Doubling the amount of unchopped stover offered increased intake of both rams and steers by 0·27 unit. Chopping stover was clearly beneficial for rams but not for steers. Doubling the amount of stover offered is a simple excess-feeding strategy to apply. Excess feeding also increases the proportion of stover refused from about 0·2 to 0·5, thus generating an uneaten residue available for other purposes, e.g. mulch or compost.
Abstract:The study was carried out to identify risk factors associated with bacterial contamination of locally produced raw milk and its adulteration with water. A total of 419 respondents of different categories of milk agents in the study sites were sampled for data and milk collection in the dry and wet seasons. The data collected focused on milk marketing factors and handling practices likely to affect milk quality, while the milk samples were analysed to determine the extent of bacterial contamination and adulteration with water. The proportion of milk samples adulterated was 18%. While 23.5% of the milk samples had unacceptably high total plate count (>6.3 log 10 cfu/ml), all the samples had unacceptably high coliform plate count (>0.7 log 10 cfu/ml). Risk factors associated with high bacterial counts were related to milk marketing channels (p<0.05), milk market agents (p<0.01), and milk containers (p=0.06) as well as their mode of cleaning (p=0.06). The only risk factor identified for adulteration of milk was related to season (p=0.04).
Abstract:The study was carried out to determine the extent to which antimicrobial drugs may be translocated into milk and the associated risk of exposure by consumers. A total of 394 milk samples were collected in the study sites in dry and wet seasons, and from different categories of milk market agents, including producers (farmers), processors, wholesalers (assemblers) and retailers. The milk samples were screened for antimicrobial drug residues using the Charm Aim-96 antimicrobial inhibition assay screening kit. Overall, 35.5% (140/394) of the milk samples collected were contaminated with one or more of the antimicrobial drugs screened. This translates into an average risk of exposure every third time a consumer drinks locally produced milk. There was no significant difference in contamination levels between season and area of sampling. Among market agents, contamination levels ranged from 16.6% (9/54) for wholesalers or milk assemblers to 54.2% (13/24) for milk processors. There were no significant differences in prevalence proportions of drug residues in milk from different types of traders between and within locations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.