EVALUATION OF ORANGE MOLASSES AS AN ENERGY INGREDIENT AND ORANGE ESSENTIAL OIL AS AN ADDITIVE IN RUMINANT NUTRITION

• Grant number: 23/07330-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Evandro Maia Ferreira
• Grantee: Evandro Maia Ferreira
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alexandre Vaz Pires ; Daniel Montanher Polizel ; Janaina Socolovski Biava ; Shi Huiyu

Abstract

Brazil is the world's largest producer of orange juice, accounting for more than a quarter of world production. As a result, it produces many co-products, with citrus pulp being the most used in ruminant feed. However, recently, two other co-products of the citrus industry have been made available as an option for use in ruminant feed, orange molasses and orange essential oil. Therefore, the aim of this project will be to evaluate the use of orange molasses as an energy ingredient and orange essential oil (source of D-limonene) as a feed additive for ruminants. This proposal includes carrying out 7 experiments with sheep, cattle and in vitro. In experiment 1, lactating ewes fed diets containing orange molasses replacing corn will be used to evaluate the effects on milk production and composition. In experiment 2, the effects of partial replacement of corn by orange molasses on nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation characteristics of lambs will be evaluated. In experiments 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 orange essential oil (source of D-limonene) will be evaluated as a feed additive. Experiments 3 (performance) and 4 (metabolism) will be with lambs, experiment 5 will be with cattle and experiments 6 and 7 will be in vitro in order to define the effects of orange essential oil on the production of enteric methane and on the digestibility of the dry matter in two dietary situations commonly used in ruminant production systems in Brazil, feedlot production (high concentrate diets) and pasture (coastcross hay-based diet). (AU)