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Intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance in hair sheep fed Pennisetum purpureum supplemented with tropical tree foliage

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of inclusion of tropical tree foliage on intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance in sheep fed with a diet based on fresh chopped Pennisetum purpureum. Four male Pelibuey sheep were used, with an average live weight of 22 ± 1.5 kg, distributed in a (4 × 4) Latin square design. Treatments were P. purpureum (T1), P. purpureum + Brosimum alicastrum (T2), P. purpureum + Guazuma ulmifolia (T3), and P. purpureum + Piscidia piscipula (T4). Tree foliage was incorporated into the ration at a proportion rate of 300 g/kg of dry matter (DM). Intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance were measured during 24 h periods for 7 days. DM intake, organic matter (OM), and crude protein (CP) intakes were not affected (P > 0.05) by including tree foliage (an average of 892.7, 784.2, and 88.9 g/day, respectively). OM and CP digestibility was similar among treatments (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, digestibility of DM and NDF was lower (P < 0.05) in T2 and T4 than in T1 (DM = 570, 560, and 662.5 g/kg; NDF = 687.0, 650.9, and 772.1 g/kg, respectively). We conclude that providing 30% of the ration in DM of foliage of B. alicastrum, G. ulmifolia, and P. piscipula improves CP intake and reduces NDF intake, thereby improving digestibility of OM, CP in sheep, which indicates that the foliage of these tree species may be used as a protein supplement during the dry season in tropical regions.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the National Technological Institute of Mexico for Financing the Project 6544.18-P, titled “Effect of intake of tropical trees on digestibility, pattern of ruminal fermentation, protozoan population, and production of enteric methane in hair sheep.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tecnológico Nacional de México/I. T. Conkal, Avenida Tecnológico S/N, 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, Mexico

    Hassem Rodriguez-Villanueva, José Puch-Rodríguez, José Sanginés-García, Edgar Aguilar-Urquizo & Angel Piñeiro-Vázquez

  2. Facultad Maya de Estudios Agropecuarios, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Carretera Catazajá-Palenque km. 4, 29980, Catazajá, Chiapas, Mexico

    Juan Muñoz-González

  3. División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Carretera Villahermosa-Teapa, km 25, R/a, La Huasteca 2a. Sección, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

    Alfonso Chay-Canul

  4. Tecnológico Nacional de México/I. T. Zona Maya, Carretera Chetumal–Escárcega km 21.5, ejido Juan Sarabia, 77960, Othón P. Blanco, Quintana Roo, Mexico

    Fernando Casanova-Lugo

  5. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Carretera Panamericana y Periférico Sur s/n, Barrio María Auxiliadora, 29290, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

    Guillermo Jiménez-Ferrer

  6. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Campeche, México, Av. Rancho Polígono 2-A, 24500, Ciudad Industrial Lerma, Campeche, Mexico

    José Alayon-Gamboa

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  1. Hassem Rodriguez-Villanueva
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  2. José Puch-Rodríguez
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  9. José Alayon-Gamboa
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  10. Angel Piñeiro-Vázquez
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Correspondence to Angel Piñeiro-Vázquez.

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Rodriguez-Villanueva, H., Puch-Rodríguez, J., Muñoz-González, J. et al. Intake, digestibility, and nitrogen balance in hair sheep fed Pennisetum purpureum supplemented with tropical tree foliage. Agroforest Syst 94, 665–674 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00439-8

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