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Ruminant Nutrition and Forage Utilization
Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2001;14(5): 624-630.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2001.624    Published online May 1, 2001.
Cassava Tops Ensiled With or Without Molasses as Additive Effects on Quality, Feed Intake and Digestibility by Heifers
Ngo Van Man, Hans Wiktorsson
Abstract
Two experiments on the effects of molasses additive on cassava tops silage quality to its feed intake and digestibility by growing Holstein횞local crossbred heifers were carried out. Sixteen plastic bags of one meter diameter and two meters length were allocated in a 2횞2 factorial design with four replicates in the ensiling study, with and without the molasses additive and with two storage times (2 and 3 months). The silage produced in the first experiment was used in the feed intake and digestibility study. Six crossbred Holstein heifers, 160-180 kg live weight, were randomly allocated in a 3횞2 change-over design to three treatments: Guinea grass ad libitum, 70% of grass ad libitum with a supplement of non-molasses cassava silage ad libitum, and 70% of grass ad libitum with a supplement of molasses cassava silage ad libitum. Ensiling was shown to be a satisfactory method for preservation of cassava tops. The HCN content was significantly reduced from 840 mg kg-1 to 300 or 130 mg kg-1, depending on storage period. The tannin content was not significantly changed. Molasses additive resulted in lower pH, Crude Protein (CP), NDF and higher DM content but did not otherwise affect chemical composition. The voluntary feed intake per 100 kg live weight of the heifers was 2.59, 2.65 and 2.91 kg DM of Guinea grass, non-molasses cassava tops silage and molasses cassava tops silage diet, respectively. Crude protein intake was significantly improved in the cassava tops silage diets. The apparent digestibility of DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF decreased with the silage supplement diets. No significant difference in digestibility was found between the non-molasses and molasses silage diets. The digestibility coefficient of DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF in non-molasses cassava tops silage and molasses cassava tops silage was 49.4, 52.1, 45.81, 36.6, 27.7 and 49.7, 51.9, 47.55, 28.1, 19.5, respectively. It is concluded that cassava tops can be preserved successfully by ensiling and that cassava tops silage is a good feed resource for cattle.
Keywords: Cassava Top Silage; Chemical Composition; Feed Intake; Digestibility; Crossbred Heifer; Molasses


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