Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Intake, rumen digestion, digestibility and microbial nitrogen supply in sheep fed Cynodon nlemfuensis supplemented with Gliricidia sepium

  • Published:
Agroforestry Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Four Pelibuey sheep fitted with flexible rumen cannula were fed increasing levels of Gliricidia sepium foliage (gliricidia) in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Treatments were: control, 10, 20 and 30% (dry basis) of gliricidia mixed in a basal diet of Cynodon nlemfuensis (stargrass) hay. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) intakes were linearly increased (P < 0.05) from 45.2, 40.4, 2.0 to 71.5, 63.3 and 6.8 g/kg W0.75/d, for the control and the 30% gliricidia diet, respectively. Similarly, increments of gliricidia in the diet resulted in a linear increase in DM, OM and CP apparent disgestibilities from 43.7, 48.4 and 27.0 to 50.7, 54.7 and 57.3%, for the control and 30% gliricidia diet, respectively. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of supplementation with gliricidia on rumen dry matter digestion of stargrass. Microbial nitrogen (N) supply to the small intestine had a trend towards an increase from 4.9, for the control, to 9.6 g N/d, for the 30% diet, though it was not significant (P > 0.05). It is concluded that, gliricidia might be incorporated into low quality diets since it increases total DM intake, supplies highly degradable N to the rumen and appears to increase the microbial N supply to the small intestine of sheep.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ARC (1984) Nutrient Requeriments of Ruminant Livestock. Supplement No. 1. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. Farnham Royal, Slough, England, 45 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • AOAC (1990) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Inc. Virginia, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Ash AJ (1990) The effect of supplementation with leaves from the leguminous trees Sesbania grandiflora, Albizia chinensisand Gliricidia sepiumon the intake and digestibility of Guinea grass hay by goats. Anim Feed Sci Technol 28: 225-232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blair GJ (1989) The diversity and potential value of shrubs and tree fodders. In: Devendra C (ed) Shrubs and Tree Fodders for Farm Animals. Proceedings of a Workshop in Denpasar, Indonesia, 24-29 July, pp 2-9. IDRC, Ottawa, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonsi MLK, Osuji PO, Nsahlai IV and Tuah AK (1994) Graded levels of Sesbania sesbanand Leucaena leucocephalaas supplements of teff straw fed to Ethiopian Menz sheep. Anim Prod 59: 235-244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen XB (1989) Excretion of purine derivatives by sheep and cattle and its use for the estimation of absorved microbial protein, pp 38-66. PhD thesis, University of Aberdeen UK

  • Chen XB and Gomes MJ (1992) Estimation of microbial protein supply to sheep and cattle based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives- an overview of the technical details. Int Feed Res Unit. Occasional Publ, Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, Scotland

    Google Scholar 

  • Devendra C (1984) Physical treatment of rice straw for goats and sheep and the response to substitution with variable levels of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala)and gliricidia (Gliricidia maculata)forages. Nutr Abstr Rev 54: 487

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon RM and Egan AR (1988) Strategies for optimizing use of fibrous crop residues as animal feeds. In: Dixon RM (ed) Ruminant Feeding Systems Utilizing Fibrous Agricultural Residues, pp 11-26. International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges, Canberra, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia E (1973) Modificaciones al sistema de clasificacion climatica de Köppen. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico, 33 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Goering HK and Van Soest PJ (1970) Forage Fibre Analyses (Apparatus, Reagents, Procedures and some Applications). Handbook No 379. US Department of Agriculture, Washington DC, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomes MJ, Hovell FD DeB, Chen XB, Nengomasha EM and Fikremariam D (1994) The effect of starch supplementation of straw on microbial protein supply in sheep. Anim Feed Sci Technol 49: 277-286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guerci AA (1979) Laboratorio. Metodos de Analisis Clinicos y su Interpretacion. Ateneo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 241 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • MAFF (1984) Energy allowances and feeding systems for ruminants, pp 69-71. Her Majesty's Stationary Office London, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Maldonado-Garcia NM and Grande-Cano D (1994) Especies arboreas y arbustivas tropicales con potencial para la alimentacion animal. Universidad y Ciencia 11: 193–217

    Google Scholar 

  • McMeniman NP, Elliott R and Ash AJ (1988) Supplementation of rice straw with crop byproducts I. Legume straw supplementation. Anim Feed Sci Technol 19: 43-53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mero RN and Udén P (1990) Effect of supplementing mature grass hay with dried Leucaena leaves on organic matter digestibility and voluntary intake by sheep. Anim Feed Sci Technol 31: 1-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Minson DJ and Milford R (1967) The voluntary intake and digestibility of diets containing different proportions of legume and mature pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens). Aust J Exp Agric Anim Husb 7: 546-551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muinga RW, Topps JH, Rooke JA and Thorpe W (1995) The effect of supplementation with Leucanena leucocephalaand maize bran on voluntary food intake, digestibility, live weight and milk yield of Bos indicus??Bos taurusdairy cows and rumen fermentation in steers offered Pennisetum purpureum ad libitumin the semi-humid tropics. Anim Sci 60:13-23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obara HY, Fuse H, Terada F, Shibata M, Kawabata A, Sutoh M, Hodate K and Matsumoto M (1994) Influence of sucrose supplementation on nitrogen kinetics and energy metabolism in sheep fed with lucerne hay cubes. J Agric Sci 123: 121-127

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Orskov ER, Hovell FD DeB and Mould F (1980) The use of the nylon bag technique for the evaluation of feedstuffs. Trop Anim Prod 5: 195-213

    Google Scholar 

  • Orskov ER and McDonald P (1979) The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. J Agric Sci 92: 499-503

    Google Scholar 

  • Owens FN and Goetsch AL (1986) Digesta passage and microbial protein synthesis. In: illigan LP, Grovum WL and Dobson A (eds) Control of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants, pp 196-223, Prentice-Hall, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Poppi DP and McLennan SR (1995) Protein and energy utilization by ruminants at pasture. J Agric Sci 118: 1-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Rico-Gray V, Chemas A and Mandujano S (1991) Uses of tropical deciduous forest species by the Yucatecan Maya. Agroforestry Systems 14: 149-161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards DE, Brown WF, Ruegsegger G and Bates DB (1994) Replacement value of tree legumes for concentrates in forage-based diets I. Replacement value of Gliricidia sepiumfor growing goats. Anim Feed Sci Technol 46: 37-51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (1985) SAS User's Guide Statistics. SAS Institute Inc. Cary, North Carolina, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider BH and Flatt WP (1975) The Evaluation of Feeds through Digestibility Experiments. The University of Georgia Press, USA, 168 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith OB and van Houtert MFJ (1987) Valor forrajero de Gliricidia sepiumreseña. Rev Mundial Zootec 62: 57-67

    Google Scholar 

  • Sotelo A, Contreras G and Flores S (1995) Nutritional value and content of antinutritional compounds and toxics in ten wild legumes of Yucatan Peninsula. Plant Food Hum Nutr 47: 115-123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steel GDR and Torrie JH (1989) Bioestadistica: Principios y Procedimientos. McGraw Hill, Mexico, 213 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Topps JH (1992) Potential, composition and use of legume shrubs and trees as fodders for livestock in the tropics. J Agric Sci118: 1-8

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Umunna NN, Nsahlai IV and Osuji PO (1995a) Degradability of forage protein supplements and their effects on the kinetics of digestion and passage. Small Rumin Res 17: 145-152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Umunna NN, Osuji PO, Nsahlai IV, Khalili H and Mohamed-Saleem MA (1995b) Effect of supplementing oat hay with lablab, sesbania, tagasaste or wheat middlings on voluntary intake, N utilization and weight gain of Ethiopian Menz sheep. Small Rumin Res 18: 113-120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valdivia-Salgado V (1996) Efecto del follaje de ramon (Brosimum alicastrum)sobre la tasa y extension de la degradacion ruminal de pasto Guinea (Panicum maximum)y sintests de proteina microbial en el rumen de ovinos. Tesis Maestro en Ciencias en Produccion Animal Tropical. Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson JR (1994) Cell wall characteristics in relation to forage digestion by ruminants, a review. J Agric Sci 122: 173-182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Young EG and Conway CF (1942) On the estimation of allantoin by the Rimini-Shryver reaction. J Biol Chem 142: 839-853

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Yucatan, P.O. Box 4-116 Itzimna, C.P. 97100 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

    L. Ramirez-Aviles*, J. A. Alayon & J. C. Ku-Vera

Authors
  1. L. Ramirez-Aviles*
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. A. Alayon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. C. Ku-Vera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L. Ramirez-Aviles*.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ramirez-Aviles*, L., Alayon, J.A. & Ku-Vera, J.C. Intake, rumen digestion, digestibility and microbial nitrogen supply in sheep fed Cynodon nlemfuensis supplemented with Gliricidia sepium. Agroforestry Systems 41, 115–126 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005954629020

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005954629020

Search

Navigation