Effect of altering fiber digestibility by time of harvest and by genotype on performance, intake, rumen kinetics and ecosystem of steers fed sugarcane silage

• Grant number: 13/15751-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Luis Felipe Prada e Silva
• Grantee: Dannylo Oliveira de Sousa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 15/02435-0 - Evaluation of the importance of the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber from forage: effects on dry matter intake and milk yield of dairy cows, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Cell wall digestibility is the main factor limiting the nutritive value of forages. The identification of parameter to evaluate the quality of the fiber that actually has an impact on animal performance is of great importance to the breeding programs of sugarcane. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of changing fiber digestibility by time of harvest and by genotype on performance, intake, rumen kinetics and rumen ecosystem of steers fed sugarcane silage on the following parameters: 1) dry matter intake, 2) weight gain and change in body condition, 3) NDF rumen rate of digestion and passage, 4) ruminal fermentation parameters, and 5) quantification of cellulolytic, amylolytic and lactate-fermenting rumen bacteria. Fifty-six Nelore steers (350 kg body weight) will be used, being eight rumen cannulated steers. The experimental diets will be composed of 40% of forage on the dry matter basis. The experimental design will be a randomized block with 12 replicates (performance) and a duplicated 4x4 latin square design (kinetics and ruminal metabolism). The volume and total mass of ruminal contents will be determined. Samples will be taken from solid and liquid phases to determine the size of the ruminal compartment of digesta components. Diet, orts and rumen digesta will be analyzed for nutrient content. Calculations of NDF rumen passage rate (kp), digestion rate (kd) and apparent ruminal digestibility will be performed. Real-time PCR will be used to quantify the relative population of the major bacteria in the sample of rumen contents.

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)

SOUSA, D. O.; VELASQUEZ, A. V.; OLIVEIRA, C. A.; SOUZA, J. M.; NADEAU, E.; SILVA, L. F. P.. Effect of sugarcane genotype and maturity stage at harvest on feed intake and ruminal parameters of growing steers. ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, v. 256, SEP 2019. (13/15751-1, 14/12101-9)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOUSA, Dannylo Oliveira de. Alteration of fiber digestibility for ruminants: effects on intake, performance, and ruminal ecosystem. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) Pirassununga.