The finishing of zebu bulls on steam-hydrolysed sugar cane bagasse with different supplements
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 November 2017
Extract
The fibrous residue remaining after juice extraction from the sugar cane stalk is commonly referred to as bagasse. It consists mainly of the ligno-cellulosic polymer matrix and small amounts of ash and water soluble solids which are mostly sucrose. In sugar industry mills, most of the bagasse is used as fuel, and although figures vary within each factory, energy efficient units can have 2 tonnes of surplus bagasse (dry basis) per 100 tonnes of fresh cane processed (Rolz et al). The bagasse can be supplemented with urea and legume protein in cattle diets. Research in Mauritius (Wong et al. 1974) showed that high pressure steam treatment (200°C) for 2-5 minutes raised rumen “in situ” digestibility from 30 to 60%. Subsequent work (Naidoo et al.1977) emphasised the critical role of supplements providing bypass nutrients (protein and glucose precursors) , in addition to urea-N and minerals for rumen microbes. In Colombia this technology is now being applied commercially for cattle fattening, using the foliage from the legume tree, Gliricidia sepium as the main source of bypass protein.
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- Beef Production and Nutrition
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- Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1989
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