Feeding Strategies to Increase Nitrogen Retention and Improve Rumen Fermentation and Rumen Microbial Population in Beef Steers Fed with Tropical Forages

Abstract

The effect of the inclusion of Leucaena leucocephala and Tithonia diversifolia in Zebu steers receiving a diet based on improved pastures such as Brachiaria decumbens and Brachiaria hybrid cv Cayman on nitrogen (N) excretion, urinary volume and rumen microbial population was evaluated. To determine the dry matter intake and nutrient excretion, eight steers were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design consisting of four periods and four diets. Four of them were cannulated for ruminal fluid extraction and quantification of ruminal microorganisms in three times of grazing (T0, T7 and T15). Forage intake was calculated through the external marker titanium dioxide. Diet including forages with superior protein content generated an increase in the gene copy numbers of Prevotella ruminicola and total bacteria on 15 sampling day (p < 0.001). Animals receiving diets with the dietary inclusion of Leucaena and Tithonia had daily N intakes of 228 and 113.5g N intake d−1, of which they excreted 42% and 61%, respectively. Inclusion of both protein forages increased daily urinary volume (9% and 7% d−1), with respect to the pasture-based diet. This study revealed that the inclusion of 18% Leucaena in a pasture-based diet improves the dry matter intake and N retention in Zebu steers under tropical conditions.

Impact of Tithonia diversifolia and Pennisetum purpureum-based Ration on Nutrient Intake, Nutrient Digestibility and Milk Yield of Etawa Crossbreed Dairy Goat

“…Protein-rich diet enhances metabolism and increases the ability of microorganisms to breakdown feed (Zain et al 2020). Methionine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine are all necessary amino acids for microbial development in T. diversifolia (Ramírez-Rivera et al 2010;Oluwasola and Dairo 2016;García et al 2017;Durango et al 2021). Milk yield from all treatments was the same due to the same TDN content of rations.…”

Nutritional quality of Piptocoma discolor and Cratylia argentea as a non-timber forest products for animal feed in the Caquetá province

“…(6.15%). Durango et al, (2021) also found that C. argentea has the greatest potential as a feed resource in livestock production systems that base their feeding systems on pastures that provide a low protein content in their composition. The difference in CP contents in forage woody plants may be attributed to factors such as the maturity stage of the plants or the soil characteristics of the sampling sites; however, more evidence is needed to corroborate this.…”

Allelopathy and Allelochemicals of Leucaenaleucocephala as an Invasive Plant Species

“…It is used for feedstuff for ruminants (cattle, water buffalos, and goats) and non-ruminants (rabbit, chickens, and fishes) [3,12]. The leaves of the species contain high levels of protein (22-28% of the dry weight) with essential amino acids such as phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, and histidine, and several minerals such as calcium and phosphorus [13][14][15]. It contains carbohydrates up to 20% of the dry weight [14].…”