Evaluation of Urea and Molasses Treatment on The Nutritional Composition of Guinea Corn Stalk

Abstract

The majority of the world’s population relies on livestock as source of protein whereas the success of livestock production is reliant on availability of quality feeds which has been challenged by competition impose by geometric growth in human population. This study assessed the effect of molasses and urea treatment on the physical quality, proximate and amino acid composition of guinea corn silage as a means to augment protein content in guinea corn silage feed stocks. Guinea corn stalks samples collected randomly on farmlands around Federal University Wukari, Nigeria. After pulverization was divided into two portions and one portion subjected to molasses and urea treatment while the other served as control. Effect of treatment was assessed by estimating and comparing the physical quality, proximate and amino acid composition of the treated and untreated sample using standard methods. The result showed that the mean pH value became more acidic after treatment from 6.12 to 5.24. While the moisture, lipid and crude protein content were significantly increased due to treatment (P <0.05). There was also a significant elevation in amino acid content due to urea and molasses treatment in 14 out of the 18 amino acids determined at 95% confidence limit (P<0.05). And the total amino acid content of the silage sample was improved from 43.80 g/100g to 62.27 g/100g. The nature of amino acids in the treated silage (test sample) were in the order of prevalence total amino acid with acidic side chain (TAAA)>total amino acid with basic side chain (TBAA)>total aromatic amino acid (TArAA)>total sulphur containing amino acid (TSAA). The most concentrated amino acid was glutamic acid, an important amino acid responsible in building the immune system.