• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.748-754
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• 2018

Objective: The preference evaluation of cattle is an important factor for estimation and improvement of the grazing amounts of newly introduced or bred grasses or cultivars in barn. This study was performed to assess the grazing behavior (the amount of grazing and/or the grazing speed) of cattle as indirect method using newly bred Brachiaria ruziziensis tetraploid strain 'OKI-1'(BR) hay as treatment group and Cloris gayana 'Callide' (CG) hay as control group. It also compared the feasibility of using behavioral differences between two groups as one criteria for evaluating preference by Japanese black cattle in barn. Methods: Three experiments were carried out using 12 growing Japanese Black cattle including 6 males and 6 females. In each experiment, the four Japanese Black cattle (2 males and 2 females) were placed in separated stall and allowed to graze BR and CG in manger that was separated into two portions for about 30 min. The position and behavior of the cattle were recorded, and weighed the residual of each gay at 15 and 30 minutes after experiment start. Results: The BR was superior to CG in chemical composition such as protein, fibers and non-fibrous carbohydrate. The cattle, over all, tended to prefer BR over CG in the first half 15 minutes in terms of the time spent and amount of grazing. Additionally, growing cattle exhibited neophilia for BR bred newly. Conclusion: These findings indicated the current approach could be applied for one of criteria to evaluate the preference of hay by Japanese black cattle under indoor housing environment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.531-536
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• 1999

This study was conducted to compare the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or LAB+cellulases on the cell wall compositions and the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of Rhodesgrass (RG) and Italian ryegrass (IRG) silages. LAB (Lactobacillus cassei) at a concentration of $10{\times}10^5\;cfu.g^{-1}$ fresh forage was added to all ensiling samples (except the untreated control) of RG and IRG. The cellulases used were Acremoniumcellulase (A), Meicelase (M) or a mixture of both (AM). Each cellulase was applied at levels of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.02 % fresh sample. The samples were incubated at 20, 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ for about 2 months of storage. LAB inoculation did not affect cell wall components or IVDMD of both the RG and IRG silages, but LAB+cellulase treatments did. Increasing the amount of cellulase addition resulted in further decreases of cell wall concentrations. This reduction more markedly occurred with cellulases A and AM than it did with cellulase M. Cell wall components losses were higher in the IRG silages than in the RG silages. LAB+cellulase treatments decreased IVDMD of the RG silages, but had no effect on the IRG silages. The different effect of LAB+cellulase treatments on cell wall degradation and IVDMD of the RG and IRG silages suggested that RG contains more structural carbohydrates, which were difficult to degrade with cellulase, than did IRG.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.525-530
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• 1999

Prior to ensiling Rhodesgrass (RG) and Italian ryegrass (lRG) were treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or with LAB+cellulases to compare their fermentation characteristics and chemical compositions. LAB (Lactobacillus casei) was added to all ensiling materials (except the untreated control) of RG and IRG at a concentration of $1.0{\times}10^5\;cfu.g^{-1}$ fresh forage. The enzymes used were Acremoniumcellulase (A), Meicelase (M) or a mixture of both (AM). Each enzyme was applied at levels of 0.005, 0.01 and 0.02 % of fresh forage. The silages with each treatment were incubated at 20, 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ and stored for about 2 months. While no marked differences were found between the RG and IRG silages with various treatments on dry matter (DM), volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents, there were significant differences in pH value, and lactic acid and butyric acid contents. LAB inoculation did not affect the fermentation characteristics of either the RG or IRG silages. The combined treatments of LAB+cellulases improved the fermentation quality of both the RG and IRG silages as evidenced by the decrease in pH value and increase in lactic acid content. Increasing the amount of added cellulase resulted in a decrease in pH value and an increase in lactic acid content in both the RG and IRG silages. Cellulases A and AM had a greater effect than cellulase M on the fermentation quality of the RG and IRG silages. Incubation temperatures of 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ appeared to be more appropriate environments for stimulating good fermentation than $20^{\circ}C$.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.522-529
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• 1998

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculation either alone or in combination with cell wall degrading enzymes on the fermentation characteristics and chemical compositions of Rhodesgrass silage. Over to 1 kg of fresh Rhodesgrass sample a treatment of inoculant LAB with or without addition of an enzyme of Acremoniumcellulase (A) or Meicelase (M) or a mixture of both enzymes (AM) was applied. The treatments were control untreated, LAB-treated (application rate $1.0{\times}10^5cfu/g$ fresh sample), LAB+A 0.005%, LAB+A 0.01%, LAB+A 0.02%, LAB+M 0.005%, LAB+M 0.01%, LAB+M 0.02 %, LAB+AM 0.005%, LAB+AM 0.01%, and LAB+AM 0.02%. The sample was ensiled into 2-L vinyl bottle silo, with 9 silages of each treatment were made. Three silages of each treatment were incubated at 20, 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ for 2-months of storage period. All silages were well preserved with their fermentation quality has low pH values (3.91-4.26) and high lactic acid concentrations (4.11-9.89 %DM). No differences were found in fermentation quality and chemical composition of the control untreated silage as compared to the LAB-treated silage. Combined treatment of LAB+cellulases improved the fermentation quality of silages measured in terms of lower (p < 0.01) pH values and higher (p < 0.05) lactic concentrations than those of LAB-treated silages. Increasing amount of cellulase addition resulted in decrease (p < 0.05) of pH value and increase (p < 0.05) of lactic acid concentration. LAB + cellulase treatments (all cellulase types) reduced (p < 0.01) NDF, ADF and in vitro dry matter digestibility of silages compared with the control untreated silages. The fermentation quality and the rate of cell wall reduction were higher (p < 0.01) in the silages treated with LAB + cellulase A than in the silages treated with either LAB+cellulase M or LAB + cellulase AM. Incubation temperature of $40^{\circ}C$ was likely to be more appropriate environment for stimulating the fermentation of Rhodesgrass silages than those of 20 and $30^{\circ}C$.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.214-221
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• 2011

Effects of the cell wall-degrading enzymes derived from Acremonium cellulolyticus and Trichoderma viride on the silage fermentation and in sacco degradation of tropical grasses i.e. rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth. cv. Callide) and guineagrass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Natsukaze) were investigated in laboratory-scale experiments. These two grasses were either treated with or without the enzymes before ensiling. Untreated rhodesgrass produced acetate fermentation silage (lactate, $13.0\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; acetate, $38.7\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) with high final pH value and $NH_3$-N content (5.84 and $215\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). Addition of enzymes significantly increased (p<0.01) the lactate production (lactate, 45.6; acetate, $34.0\;g\;kg-^{1}$ DM) and decreased (p<0.01) the pH and $NH_3$-N (4.80 and $154\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) in the ensiled forages when compared with the control silages. Untreated guineagrass was successfully preserved with a high lactate proportion (lactate, 45.5; acetate, $24.1\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM), and the addition of enzymes further enhanced the desirable fermentation (lactate, $57.5\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; acetate, $19.4\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). The content of NDF was lowered (p<0.05) by enzymes in both silages, but the extent appeared greater in the enzyme-treated rhodesgrass (rhodesgrass, $48\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; guineagrass, $21\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM). Changes in the kinetics of in sacco degradation showed that enzyme treatment increased (p<0.01) the rapidly degradable DM (rhodesgrass, 299 vs. $362\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM; guineagrass, 324 vs. $343\;g\;kg^{-1}$ DM) but did not influence the potential degradation, lag time and degradation rate of DM and NDF in the two silages.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 2008

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) level on the dry matter (DM) yield, N concentration and oxalate content of some tropical grasses, namely Rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana), Guineagrass (Panicum maximum) and Sudangrass (Sorghum vulgare). Three levels of N as urea were applied (Standard- 260, $Standard{\times}2$- 540 and$Standard{\times}4$- 1,060 kg N/ha for Rhodesgrass; Standard- 380, $Standard{\times}2$- 770 and $Standard{\times}4$- 1,570 kg N/ha for Guineagrass and Sudangrass) in a completely randomized design and grasses were harvested twice at approximately two-month intervals. Dry matter yield tended to be higher with increased rate of N fertilizer in all species, while further additional N ($Standard{\times}2$ or $Standard{\times}4$) did not significantly (p>0.05) further increase DM yield, when compared with the Standard level of N fertilizer application. There was also a trend towards higher N concentration in plants as N fertilization increased in all species and it was increased significantly in Rhodesgrass and Sudangrass (p<0.05 or p<0.01, respectively). Further additional N ($Standard{\times}2$ or $Standard{\times}4$) application showed no significant (p>0.05) differences on oxalate content in plant tissue within species, when compared with the Standard level of N. The Rhodesgrass contained 0.11, 0.13 and 0.15% soluble oxalate and 0.23, 0.25 and 0.27% total oxalate with Standard, $Standard{\times}2$ and $Standard{\times}4$ level of N application, respectively. The Guineagrass contained 0.54, 0.50 and 0.42% soluble oxalate and 1.60, 1.56 and 1.45% total oxalate with Standard, $Standard{\times}2$ and $Standard{\times}4$ level of N application, respectively. The Sudangrass contained 0.06, 0.15 and 0.12% soluble oxalate and 0.22, 0.22 and 0.21% total oxalate with Standard, $Standard{\times}2$ and $Standard{\times}4$ level of N application, respectively The results from this study suggest that these grasses do not use further addition of N fertilizer ($Standard{\times}2$ or $Standard{\times}4$) to form high content of oxalate salts, when compared with the Standard level of N. In addition, the levels of oxalate present with these grasses are quite low as far as toxicity to animals is concerned.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1249-1254
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• 2000

A study was conducted to evaluate the replacement value of Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium as nitrogen sources in commercial type supplements for dairy goats. Six crossbred $(Toggenburg{\times}Saanen)$ goats at late stage of lactation were allocated to three dietary treatments in a double $3{\times}3$ Latin square design. The animals were offered rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay ad libitum and supplemented with either Leucaena-based concentrate (LBC), Gliricidia-based concentrate (GBC) or commercial based concentrate (CC). Voluntary food intake, milk yield and composition and changes in live weight were measured. The total dry matter (DM) intake was higher (p<0.05) in goats fed GBC than CC (1385 vs 1331 g/d). The DM intake for LBC (1343 g/d) was similar to CC (1331 g/d). The DM intake of hay was also higher (p<0.05) in goats fed GBC (834 g/d) than those receiving LBC or CC (789, 782 g/d, respectively). Animals supplemented with GBC recorded positive (11 g/d) weight gain while the other groups lost weight (13, 19 g/d) for LBC and CC respectively, although these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The composition of milk were: butterfat 58, 49 and 55 g/kg; crude protein 37.0, 35.4 and 36.1 g/kg; lactose 33, 29 and 30 g/kg; Ash 8.5, 8.5 and 7.9 g/kg and total solids 136.5, 121.9 and 129.0 g/kg, for goats fed LBC, GBC and CC respectively. There were no differences in the composition of milk due to these dietary treatments. At the end of performance trial, a digestibility trial was conducted using 6 female goats allocated to the three treatments (LBC, GBC and CC) in an incomplete randomized block design and each goat received a different supplement in each of two successive periods. There were no differences in nutrient digestibility except for DM, which was higher (p<0.05) in CC compared to the other treatments (615, 622, 720 g/kg for LBC, GBC and CC, respectively). Economic analysis showed that CC diet was more expensive (0.20 US$/kg) and had a lower margin over supplementation (0.11 US$) compared to LBC and GBC (0.13 vs 0.12 US$/kg and 01.5 vs 0.12 US$, respectively). It is concluded that the Leucaena and Gliricidia could contribute as nitrogen sources in compounded diet supplements without any detrimental effects on production in dairy goats.