Corn grain processing and varying levels of neutral detergent fiber of sugarcane bagasse in diets for feedlot finishing Nelore cattle

• Grant number: 11/22623-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2012
• End date: June 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Flávio Augusto Portela Santos
• Grantee: Flávio Augusto Portela Santos
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this project is to evaluate flint corn processing methods (coarse grinding vs steam flaking ) for Nellore bulls fed finishing diets varying in forage (sugar cane) NDF content. Levels of sugar cane bagasse also will be compared in whole flint corn diets. Four experiments will be conducted. In experiment 1 (performance) 240 Nellore bulls will be fed isonitrogenous diets containing four levels of sugar cane bagasse NDF (3.0, 6.0, 9.0 and 12.0% dry matter) flint corn grain processed as coarsely ground or steam flaked. The variable analyzed will be: dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (ADG/DMI), carcass traits, observed diets net energy, fecal starch contents and the incidence of liver abscess. In experiment 2 (metabolism) 10 Nellore steers, cannulated in the rumen and duodenum will be used in a 5x5 Latin Square design. In the Square 1 the diets will contain coarsely ground corn and five levels of sugar cane bagasse NDF (3.0, 6.0, 9.0, 12.0% and 15% of DM). In the Square 2 steam flaked corn will be fed. The DMI, rumen parameters, microbial synthesis, nutrient digestibility in the rumen and post-rumen, blood parameters, nitrogen excretion, and feeding behavior of animals will be analyzed. In Experiment 3 (metabolism) 5 Nellore steers, cannulated in the rumen and duodenum will be used in one 5x5 Latin Square Design to evaluate sugar cane bagasse levels (0,0; 3,0; 6,0; 9,0 and 12% of DM) in diets containing whole flint corn. The parameters evaluated will be the same described above for trial 2. In Experiment 4 (in vitro gas production) the 15 diets (experiment 2 and experiment 3) will be compared for total gas production and kinetics of degradation of fiber carbohydrates and of non fiber carbohydrates. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE MELO, ANTONIO HUMBERTO F.; MARQUES, RODRIGO S.; GOUVEA, VINICIUS N.; DE SOUZA, JONAS; BATALHA, CAMILA D. A.; BASTO, DEBORA C.; MILLEN, DANILO D.; DROUILLARD, JAMES S.; SANTOS, FLAVIO A. P.. Effects of dietary roughage neutral detergent fiber levels and flint corn processing method on growth performance, carcass characteristics, feeding behavior, and rumen morphometrics of Bos indicus cattle. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE, v. 97, n. 8, p. 3562-3577, AUG 2019. (11/22623-4, 11/22332-0)