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The Comparative Effectiveness of Urea and Ammonia For Improving The Nutritive Value of Straw

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

R.P. Sherwood  and
E. Owen
R.P. Sherwood
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
E. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, Reading RG6 2AT
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Extract

Treatment of straw with sodium hydroxide or ammonia to improve its nutritive value to ruminants is now well established. However, these chemicals are corrosive and not ideal for use on farms. Urea has been proposed in recent years as an ammonia precursor for the treatment of straw. Urea is a safe (non-corrosive) chemical to handle in both the solid and aqueous form, and could be applied to straw by the farmer himself without the need for specialized contractors. The aim of the work reported was to determine whether urea is an effective alternative to ammonia for the treatment of straw.

In two preliminary trials treated straws were evaluated by determining digestibility in vitro (Tilley and Terry 1963). The first trial showed that for optimum improvement in digestibility, at least 70g urea/kg straw dry matter (DM), and a moisture content of approximately 500g/kg, were required.

Type
Straw processing and feeding
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1986 , March 1986 , pp. 11
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1986

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References

Agricultural Research Council 1980. The Nutrient Requirements of Ruminant Livestock. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Owen, E. 1984. Research Since 1981. In Improvements In The Nutritive Value of Crops and By-Products By Chemical or Biological Treatments. Proceedings of a Second Seminar on the Upgrading of Crops and By-products, held at the Grassland Research Institute, 9 February 1984. pp. 15–28. MAFF, London.Google Scholar