A study was conducted at the Animal Science Farm, Tuntungin, Putho of the Institute of Animal Science, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines, during 2001-2002 to find out the supplementation effects of corn-soybean based broiler’s diet with acid protease on its performance. The parameters studied were: growth, feed consumption, nutrient digestibility and economic analysis. Three hundred day-old, male broiler chicks were group brooded and fed with commercial pre-starter diets for seven days. Thereafter the chicks were randomly distributed to 30 cages with 10 chicks each. Five treatments randomly assigned to the 30 cages using a Completely Randomized Design. The treatments were: basal diet, diet with reduced crude protein, diet with reduced crude protein + 0.05 % protease, diet with reduced crude protein + 0.075 % protease, and diet with reduced crude protein + 0.1 % protease. The body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, and carcass quality were recorded. The results showed that one per cent reduction in CP of the diet significantly decreased the crude protein digestibility of broiler starter and finisher diets. Although the protease supplementation of reduced CP diet consistently and significantly improved the digestibility of CP in broiler starter and finisher diets. Dietary protease inclusion at 0.075 percent significantly improved mean body weight gain in broiler at 28 days of age. Average cumulative feed consumption was significantly lower at 0.05 percent protease supplementation in broiler finisher diet. The highest income was derived from broilers fed diet supplemented with 0.075 percent protease. Further research should be carried out to confirm the results. Key words: Broiler, corn-based, and acid protease J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 26:65-70 (2005)

An experiment was conducted at the Animal Science Farm, Tuntungin, Putho of the Institute of Animal Science, University of the Philippines, Los Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines, during 2001-2002. Ninety 24-weeks old individually caged pullets were used in this study. Five treatments were randomly assigned to the 90 pullets following a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated 18 times with one pullet each. The dietary treatments were: basal diet (18% CP and 2800 kcal /kg, ME) reduced (red). CP diet (17% CP and 2800 kcal /kg, ME), red CP diet + 0.05% protease, red CP diet + 0.075% protease and red CP diet + 0.10% protease. Apparent digestibility of each nutrient in relation to egg production, egg weight, feed consumption, feed efficiency, body weight gain, shell thickness and yolk pigmentation, mortality, and income over feed cost were calculated All the data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of the SAS Institute (1988). One percent reduction of crude protein of diet of pullet significantly decreased the digestibility of all nutrients. Feed efficiency was significantly improved with 0.1% protease, while eggshell thickness was significantly improved with 0.075% protease supplementation of diets. Income over feed cost increased with dietary supplementation of protease. Increased level of protease supplementation of reduced CP diets consistently improved the digestibility of nutrients, overall average egg production and decreased feed consumption. Egg weight and feed efficiency were slightly improved with 0.075% and 0.1% protease supplementation of diet. Eggshell thickness was significantly improved with 0.075% protease Yolk color was not significantly influenced by increased protease supplementation of the diet. Income over feed cost was consistently increased with protease supplementation. It was concluded and recommended that crude protein of layer diets could be reduced by 1% provided that they are supplemented with protease, optimum level of inclusion of protease is 0.1% for layers and enzyme activity need to be accurately determined before it is used. Key words: Layer, corn-based, acid protease, enzyme J. Inst. Agric. Anim. Sci. 27:93-102 (2006)

The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the losses caused by pulse beetle (Callosobruchus spp.) during storage of chickpea grains in various storage structures. It was found that, still farmers are using traditional storage structures (earthen pots, earthen pots + sand, jute bags). Chickpea grain samples (500g each) were collected during August, September and October from different storage structures (metal bins, plastic bags, gunny bags, earthen pots and earthen pots + sand) in 15 villages of Rewari, Hisar and Mahendergarh district in the year 2017 and 2018. The results of analysed samples revealed that the highest infestation was observed in Rewari followed by Hisar and Mahendergarh district. It was found that maximum number of farmers were using metal bins (51.45, 40.11%) followed by gunny bugs (31.79, 31.64%), plastic bags (16.76, 15.82%), Earthen pots (6.51, 7.91%) and Earthen pots + sand (2.35, 4.52%) to store the chickpea grains in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Out of total samples infested with bruchid, 70.91 & 53.63 per cent gunny bag samples were found infested followed by plastic bags (48.28 & 20.29%), metal bins (11.24 & 15.94%) and earthen pots (9.80 & 10.14%) in both the years. There was no infestation of pulse beetle observed in those samples which were stored in earthen pots along with sand. Higher moisture percentage in the grain and infestation of pulse beetle was observed in the month of September followed by October in comparison to August month. Among the storage structures in frequent use, metal bins were found to have less qualitative and quantitative losses of seed/grains.