Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
This report is for the third year of the project. The complementary report summarizes the results of the first two years of the project. This report is for the third year of the project. The complementary report summarizes the results of the first two years of the project. A beef cattle feeding study aimed to determine how the method of applying a fibrolytic enzyme, or ammonia affects the nutritive value of bermudagrass hay and the performance of beef cattle. Fifty steers (270 kg BW) were individually fed 5-week regrowth bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay ad libitum supplemented with a concentrate fed at 1% of body weight, for 84 d. The bermudagrass was either conserved as hay without treatment (Control), or with ammonia (30 g/kg DM), or a fibrolytic enzyme (15 g/ton) that was applied at harvest (Ec), baling (Eb) or feeding (Ec). Chromic oxide was dosed to steers for 10 consecutive days and fecal Cr concentrations from the last 5 days were used to estimate
digestibility. In situ rumen degradability was measured by incubating ground (4 mm) hay samples in duplicate in each of two ruminally fistulated cows that were fed bermudagrass hay ad libitum and soybean meal (500g/d). Hemicellulase and NDF concentrations of bermudagrass hay were decreased (P=0.001) by ammonia treatment, but ADF concentration was unaffected by treatment. Lignin concentration was decreased by ammonia (P=0.001) and Ef (P=0.033) treatments, while CP concentration was only increased (P=0.001) by ammonia treatment. Dry matter intake was greater in steers fed hays treated with Ec (P=0.031) and ammonia (P=0.056) than those fed control hays. All additive-treated hays had greater (P< 0.001) DM and NDF digestibility than control hays, and DMD was greatest in hays treated with Ec and ammonia. However, steer average daily gain, body weight, body condition score, or hip height were unaffected by treatment. The rate of situ DM degradation was unaffected by treatment, but the extent
of degradation was increased (P<0.001) by ammonia treatment. Enzyme application at harvest was the most promising method of enzyme treatment, and this treatment was almost as effective as ammonia at enhancing forage quality and steer performance. Current work is focused on determining why enzyme treatment did not affect the growth rate of the steers despite increasing feed intake and digestion. Furthermore, we are analyzing the results of a complementary trial that aimed to examine how enzyme addition to tropical hays in sheep diets affects forage quality and animal performance.
Impacts
The feeding study showed that enzyme application at harvest was as effective as ammonia treatment at improving the bermudagrass intake and digestion in beef cattle. Though animal performance was not improved by either of the treatments, the study suggests that enzyme treatment is a potentially effective, less hazardous and problematic method of improving the quality of tropical forages that are fed to livestock. Confirmation of these findings in the sheep trial will lead to recommendation of enzyme treatment as a viable forage improvement method for beef producers. This could result in improved animal productivity as well as more profitable beef production due to reduced importation of concentrate feeds into Florida and the Caribbean basin.
Publications
- Adesogan, A. T. 2005. Exogenous fibrolytic enzymes for enhancing forage quality and animal performance. Proceedings of the Sigma Xi Seminar Series. University of Georgia, Tifton. April, 2005.
- Dean, D.B., A.T. Adesogan, N. Krueger and R.C. Littell. 2005. Effect of fibrolytic enzymes on the fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability and digestibility of bermudagrass silage. Journal of Dairy Science. 88. 994-1003.
- Krueger, N. A., Adesogan, A.T., Staples, C.R., Sollenberger, L.E. and Littell, R.C. 2005. Effect of applying ammonia or fibrolytic enzymes to bermudagrass hay on feed intake, digestion kinetics and growth of beef steers. Journal of Animal Science, In press.
- Tous,K., A . Rodriguez, A. Adesogan, and E. Valencia. 2005. Fibrolytic enzyme effects on intake and digestibility of guineagrass (Panicum Maximum Jacq.) hay. Journal of Animal Science Abstract, In press.
- Krueger, N. A., Adesogan, A.T., Staples, C.R., Sollenberger, L.E. and Littell, R.C. 2005. Effect of applying ammonia or fibrolytic enzymes to bermudagrass hay on feed intake, digestion kinetics and growth of beef steers. Journal of Animal Science, Abstract, In press.
- Dean, D., Adesogan, A., Staples, C., Arriola, K., Kim, S., Krueger, N., Huisden, M., Chikagwa, S., and Amaral, B. 2005. The effect of method of dietary addition of a fibrolytic enzyme on the performance of lactating dairy cows., Journal of Animal Science Vol. 83 (Suppl. 1) Abstract 514, p 341.
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Progress 09/01/04 to 08/31/05
Outputs
This report summarizes two experiments aimed at determining if commercial fibrolytic enzymes can improve the digestibility of guinea grass hay produced in Puerto Rico. Experiment 1 evaluated the effect of applying four fibrolytic enzymes or ammonia on the nutritive value of 6- (6wk) and 8-week (8wk) regrowths of guineagrass (Panicum maximum) hay. The ammonia was applied at 4% dry matter (DM) and enzymes Promote (Pr) Biocellulase X-20 (X-20), Fibrozyme (Fib) and Biocellulase A-20 (A-20) were applied at 0, 0.5x, 1x and 2x manufacturer-recommended rates to 2 kg of hay in triplicate. Hays were stored for 3 weeks before determination of chemical composition and 6 and 48 h in vitro digestibility of DM (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF; IVNDFD), and acid detergent fiber (ADF; IVADFD). Crude protein concentration, 6 and 48 h IVDMD, and 48 h IVNDFD and IVADFD values were greater (P<0.01), while ADF and NDF concentrations were lower (P<0.01) in 6wk hays compared to 8wk hays.
Additive treatment did not affect ADF or NDF concentration of 6wk hays, but X20 and Fib treatment slightly (<4%) reduced NDF and ADF concentrations (additive x maturity interaction, P<0.1) of 8-wk hays. Ammoniation increased (P<0.01) CP concentration of 6 and 8wk hays by 42 and 91%, respectively (additive x maturity interaction, P<0.01). Ammoniation increased 6 h IVDMD by 35% and increased 48 h IVDMD and IVNDFD by 10%. In conclusion, guineagrass quality decreases with increasing harvesting interval. Enzyme application did not improve the nutritive value of the hays but ammoniation did. Experiment 2 examined the effects of applying two exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, on intake and digestibility of guineagrass hay fed to rams. Nine mature Blackbelly x Native crossbred rams were placed in metabolic cages and fed 8wk guineagrass hay without (control) or with treatment with enzymes A20 or Pr. The enzymes were sprayed on the guineagrass hay 24 hours prior to feeding at rates recommended by
the respective enzyme manufacturers. The experimental design was a 3 x 3 Latin Square, with three treatments and three 18-day periods. After 12 days of adaptation to the diets, feed offered, orts and feces were recorded and subsampled for chemical analysis for six consecutive days in each experimental period. Forage intake was unaffected by Pr application (871 g/d), but it was higher (P <.05) in lambs fed A20 versus control (1,125 vs. 850 g/d respectively). Dry matter digestibility was higher (P <0.05) for lambs fed A20 (56.0%) or Pr (54.4%) versus control (50.1%), because enzyme treatment improved fiber digestibility. These results agree with our previous findings that Biocellulose A-20 improved the intake and digestibility of bermudagrass hay in steers in Florida. The reason for the contradictory results from the two experiments may be due to incomplete digestion of the guineagrass in the in vitro assays used in Experiment 1.
Impacts
The feeding study showed that application of a specific fibrolytic enzyme, Biocellulase A20 to hay 24 h prior to feeding improved the intake and digestion of guineagrass in sheep in Puerto Rico. This agrees with our previous report, which indicated that this enzyme improved the intake and digestion of bermudagrass hay in beef cattle in Florida. Therefore, application of Biocellulase A20 is an effective method of improving the quality of tropical forages. The performance of ruminants fed diets consisting of unsupplemented, poor quality grass hays in the Caribbean basin can likely be improved by application of A20 to the hays at least 24 h prior to feeding. This strategy could result in improved animal productivity as well as more profitable beef and sheep production due to reduced importation of concentrate feeds into Florida and the Caribbean basin.
Publications
- Dean, D.B., Adesogan, A.T., Staples, C.R. and Littell, R.C. 2006. Effect of adding a fibrolytic enzyme to different components of a dairy cow diet on feed intake, digestibility, milk production, ruminal fermentation, and Blood Metabolites. Journal of Dairy Science. Submitted.
- Krueger, N.A., Adesogan, A.T., Staples, C.R., Krueger, W. K. Kim, S.C. and Littell, R.C., 2006. Effect of mode of applying fibrolytic enzymes or ammonia to bermudagrass hay on feed intake, digestion kinetics and growth of beef steers. Journal of Animal Science. Submitted.
- Krueger, N. A. and Adesogan, A.T. 2006. Effect of multi enzyme cocktails on the digestion and fermentation of bahiagrass hay. Journal of Dairy Science, Vol.89, Suppl. 1, Abstract 283, p254.
- Dean, D., Adesogan, A.T., Valencia, E. and Krueger, N. 2006. Effect of fibrolytic enzymes or ammonia treatment on the nutritive value of 6 and 8 wk regrowths of guineagrass hay. Journal of Dairy Science, Vol.89, Suppl. 1, Abstract M55, p24.
- Dean, D., Adesogan, A., Staples, C., Kim and Littell R.C. 2006. Effect of method of adding a fibrolytic enzyme to a dairy cow diet on ruminal fermentation and TMR degradation. Journal of Dairy Science, Vol.89, Suppl. 1, Abstract 496, p405.
- Adesogan, A. T. 2005. Improving forage quality and animal performance with fibrolytic enzymes. Proceedings of the 16th Annual Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium, Gainesville, Florida, January, 2005. Pp. 91-109.
- Adesogan, A. T. 2004. Mejorando el consume voluntario y la digestibilidad de gramineas tropicales con la utilizacion de enzimas fibroliticas. Proceeedings of Productores de Forrage y Ganado Lechero. University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, September, 2004
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
This project represents the third year of Project Number: FLA-ANS-04080-A, CRIS Number: 0194598 Improving Forage Quality and Livestock Productivity With Exogenous Fibrolytic Enzymes The progress report for this project is therefore included in the original project.
Impacts
Please see Progress report above. The progress report for this project is therefore included in the original project.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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