Supplementing Guinea grass with fresh sweet potato foliage for milk production by Bunaji and N'Dama cows in early lactation

Effect of replacing alfalfa hay with a mixture of cassava foliage silage and sweet potato vine silage on ruminal and intestinal digestion in sheep

“…In small farm systems, supplementing the diet with SPV or CF as a protein source for ruminants that were being fed poor quality roughages, improved animal productivity and economic efficiency (Wanapat 2009). Although supplementing basal tropical forage diets with SPV improved apparent nutrient digestion (Etela et al 2008a(Etela et al , 2009, feeding SPV at more than 30% of DM caused a reduction of protein and NDF digestibility (Aregheore 2004;Megersa et al 2013). Although supplementing basal tropical forage diets with SPV improved apparent nutrient digestion (Etela et al 2008a(Etela et al , 2009, feeding SPV at more than 30% of DM caused a reduction of protein and NDF digestibility (Aregheore 2004;Megersa et al 2013).…”

“…In addition, although SPV has similar neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content as AH, its crude protein (CP) content, ruminal effective degradability, and degradation rate of dry matter (DM) are lower than those of AH (Kariuki et al 1998;National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) 2009). Although supplementing basal tropical forage diets with SPV improved apparent nutrient digestion (Etela et al 2008a(Etela et al , 2009, feeding SPV at more than 30% of DM caused a reduction of protein and NDF digestibility (Aregheore 2004;Megersa et al 2013). Thus, the use of SPV as a major roughage source may have negative effects on ruminant production.…”

Feed and fuel: the dual‐purpose advantage of an industrial sweetpotato

“…This approach is helpful for comparative purposes among the different cultivars as it demonstrates that the CX‐1 vines have significantly higher energy values when compared to the Hernandez and Beauregard vines ( P < 0.05). The ME value for CX‐1 (10.2 MJ kg −1 DM) was also higher than other cultivars, namely TIS‐87/0087, TIS‐8164 and TIS‐2532.OP.1.13, which ranged from 6.7 to 7.9 MJ kg −1 DM . Etela et al also measured the actual ME intake when the vines were fed to lactating dairy cows and found that, although the intake was lower than with other supplements (dried brewer's grains and cottonseed meal), the efficiency of ME utilization for milk production was up to 3.5 times higher with the sweetpotato vine supplemental diet.…”

“…The ME value for CX‐1 (10.2 MJ kg −1 DM) was also higher than other cultivars, namely TIS‐87/0087, TIS‐8164 and TIS‐2532.OP.1.13, which ranged from 6.7 to 7.9 MJ kg −1 DM . Etela et al also measured the actual ME intake when the vines were fed to lactating dairy cows and found that, although the intake was lower than with other supplements (dried brewer's grains and cottonseed meal), the efficiency of ME utilization for milk production was up to 3.5 times higher with the sweetpotato vine supplemental diet. Since the estimated ME values of the CX‐1 vines are higher than those measured by Etela et al , it is anticipated that CX‐1 vines used as a dietary supplement would enhance ME utilization for milk production in lactating dairy cows.…”

“…The dairy cattle industry is quite large in the USA and it has successfully incorporated by‐products from other agricultural industries such as citrus pulp, brewer's grains and cottonseed as supplements to feed . As a supplement to Guinea grass, sweetpotato vines were found to be an effective substitute for dried brewer's grains and cottonseed meal in the diet of lactating dairy cows . Thus sweetpotato vines could provide a valuable dietary supplement to the dairy cattle industry in the USA, particularly in Florida, which houses the largest number of dairy cows in the southeastern USA .…”