Intake, nutrients digestibility and nitrogen balance of elephant grass silages added different levels of dehydrated cashew stalk/Consumo, digestibilidade de nutrientes e balanco de nitrogenio da silagem de capim-elefante com adicao de pedunculo de caju desidratado

• Published in: Ciência rural 2010-02, Vol.40 (2), p.427
• Main Authors: Teles, Margareth Maria, Neiva, Jose Neuman Miranda, Clementino, Rossana Herculano, do Rego, Anibal Coutinho, Candido, Magno Jose Duarte, Restle, Joao
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Subjects: Silage; Trucking
• ISSN: 0103-8478

The nutritive value of elephant grass silages, with increasing levels of dehydrated cashew stalk (DCS) was evaluated. Five addition levels were studied (0; 4; 8; 12 and 16%), using 20 rams in a completely randomized design with five treatments (addition levels) and four replicates (animals). Intake and digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), total carbohydrates (TC) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) were determined, as well as total digestible nutrients (TDN) and silages nitrogen balance (NB). DCS did not affect intakes of DM, OM, NDF, ADF, TC and TDN, neither digestibility of OM, CB, NDF, ADF and TC silages. Otherwise, the addition of DCS increased intakes of CP, EE and NFC and digestibility of EE, NFC, as well as TDN values and nitrogen balance. Inclusion of DCS showed linear decreasing digestibility of ADF. It is concluded that addition of DCS to silages of elephant grass up to 16% on a natural basis can be used as a forage source for ruminants. Key words: Anacardium occidentale L., ensiling, sheep, nutritive value. A presente pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de avaliar o valor nutritivo de silagens de capim-elefante contendo niveis crescentes de pedunculo de caju desidratado (PCD). Foram utilizados 20 ovinos machos e nao castrados, seguindo o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos (niveis de adicao de 0; 4; 8; 12 e 16%) e quatro repeticoes. Foram avaliados os consumos e a digestibilidades da materia seca (MS), da materia organica (MO), da proteina bruta (PB), da fibra em detergente neutro (FDN), da fibra em detergente acido (FDA), do extrato etereo (EE), dos carboidratos totais (CHT), dos carboidratos nao fibrosos (CNF), alem do valor de nutrientes digestiveis totais (NDT) e do balanco de nitrogenio (BN) das silagens. A adicao de PCD nao influenciou os consumos de MS, MO, FDN, FDA, CHT e NDT expresso em % PVe g [kg.sup.-1][PV.sup.0,75] e as digestibilidades da MO, PB, FDN, FDA e CHT das silagens. No entanto, a adicao do PCD promoveu aumento nos consumos de PB, EE e CNF (% PV e g [kg.sup.-1] [PV.sup.0,75]), nas digestibilidades do EE e dos CNF e no valor de NDT e balanco de nitrogenio. Por outro lado, a inclusao de PCD na ensilagem do capim-elefante promoveu efeito linear decrescente na digestibilidade da FDA das silagens. Conclui-se que as silagens com adicao de PCD podem ser utilizadas como volumos