• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1583-1591
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• 2003

The influence of varying levels of urea and additives on nitrogen (N) retention and chemical composition of wheat straw was studied. The wheat straw was treated with 4, 6 and 8% urea and ensiled with 1.5, 2 and 2.5% of acetic or formic acid and 2, 4 and 6% of corn steep liquor (CSL) or acidified molasses for 15 days. The N content of wheat straw was significantly different across all treatments. The N content of urea treated wheat straw was increased with the increasing level of urea. The N content was higher in urea treated wheat straw ensiled with acetic or formic acid as compared to urea treated wheat straw ensiled without these organic acids. The N content of urea treated wheat straw was further enhanced when it was ensiled with CSL or acidified molasses. This effect was significant across all levels of urea used to treat the wheat straw. Nitrogen retention in urea treated wheat straw was decreased linearly as the urea level was increased to treat the wheat straw. The N content was increased linearly when higher levels of CSL or acidified molasses were used to ensile the urea treated wheat straw. Most of the N in urea treated wheat straw was held as neutral detergent insoluble N (NDIN). The NDIN content was increased linearly with the increasing levels of urea and additives. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents were higher in urea treated wheat straw ensiled with acetic or formic acid as compared to urea treated wheat straw ensiled without additive. The NDF content further increased in urea treated wheat straw ensiled with CSL and acidified molasses. The entire increase in NDF content was because of fiber bound N. The hemicellulose content of urea treated wheat straw ensiled with CSL or acidified molasses was higher as compared to urea treated wheat straw ensiled with acetic or formic acid. The acid detergent fiber content of urea treated wheat straw ensiled with or without additives remained statistically non-significant. The cellulose contents of wheat straw was linearly reduced when urea level was increased from 4 to 6 and 8% to treat the wheat straw. This effect was further enhanced when urea treated wheat straw was ensiled with different additives. The results of the present study indicated that fermentable carbohydrates might improve the Nitrogen retention and bring the favorable changes in physiochemical nature of wheat straw. However, biological evaluation of urea treated wheat straw ensiled with fermentable carbohydrates is required.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2010

The effect of wheat straw mix was tested to develop rice straw replacement media. The chemical contents were analysed after late fermentation. Nitrogen content and C/N ratio of the 20% wheat straw mixing medium were 2.2% and 16.7 and the only rice straw using medium were 2.0% and 17.9, respectively. When the 20% wheat straw mixing treatment was compared to the only rice straw medium, pinhead initiation period was shortened and the yield was increased as much as 30%. Therefore the 20% wheat straw mixing medium is expected to replace the rice straw medium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.1200-1204
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• 1999

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of urea treatment of rice and wheat straw on feed intake, dry matter (DM) digestibility and milk yield of lactation buffaloes in their late lactation under farmers' management conditions in the western hills of Nepal during 1995 and 1997. Dry matter intake (DMI) from urea treated rice and wheat straw was not improved significantly (p<0.05) nor the total DMI of the lactating buffaloes was improved significantly. However, feeding urea treated rice straw increased straw DMI by 14.2% and total DMI by 10.63% units over the untreated rice straw. Similarly, the increase in straw and total DMI were 20.18 and 17.40% units over the untreated wheat straw fed animals. Although there was no significant effect of urea treatment of both straw on DM digestibility, it was higher for treated than untreated straw at all locations. An overall increment of 18.1% units for rice straw and 13.3% units for wheat straw was observed. There was a significant effect (p<0.01) of feeding urea treated rice and wheat straw on the milk yield of lactating buffaloes during late lactation under farmers conditions. Post experiment milk yield was also significantly (p<0.05) higher for the animals fed treated straw in both the experiments. Buffalo milk yield was also significantly affected by breed (p<0.01), location (p<0.01) and parity (p<0.01) of the animals. General response of the farmers about the technology and their observed effect on animal performance was also very positive.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.413-419
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• 1994

Mold growth decreased nutritive value of wheat straw (WS). Mold increased DM (94 vs 98%) and ADF (51 vs 56%) contents and had no effect on natural detergent fiber (NDF). Crude protein and N values were decreased in moldy wheat straw, Mold increased insoluble N content of wheat straw (WS) from 21 to 27%. Ammoniation increased the CP of nonmoldy straw from 3.8 to 8.3% and moldy straw from (3.3 to 6.2%). Aspergillus and zygomycetes fungal species were most prevalent and total numbers were higher on moldy straw. Ammoniation decreased total numbers of fungal spores on nonmoldy and moldy WS. Ammoniation of moldy WS increased (p < 0.10) feed in take (1.8%) as compared with nonmoldy, ammoniated, nonmoldy and moldy WS. Steers fed moldy WS had lowest (p < 0.10) feed intake (1.3% of BW daily) compared with other diet. There was little difference (p < 0.10) in intake of nonammoniated vs. ammoniated WS. Steers fed moldy straw lost 6 kg BW. Ammoniated, nonmoldy straw elevated Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) (10.5 mg/dl). Alkaline Phosphatase (ALK) was greater in steers fed moldy VS nonmoldy straw (148 VS 95 U/liter. p < 0.10).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.845-851
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• 2006

Spent compost wheat straw is an available by-product from edible mushroom production, which constitutes a potential pollutant and is cost effective for disposal. This study was conducted to determine the nutritive value as ruminant feed of spent wheat straw compost from Agaricus bisporus mushroom production. The compost was provided from a mushroom farm, the casing soil was removed from the whole compost, and then it was sun dried and sampled for chemical analysis. An experiment was conducted, in which four wheat straw-based diets comprising control (I), 10% spent straw (II), 20% spent straw (III) and 30% spent straw (IV) were tested in a cross-over design using 8 sheep. Dry matter intake (DMI) was 74.0, 73.8, 70.2 and 57.1 and organic matter intake (OMI) was 62.7, 63.4, 58.0 and 44.4 g per kg $BW^{0.75}$ for diets I, II, III and IV, respectively, which, were significantly (p<0.05) lower for diet IV. Digestible OMI was respectively 33.1, 32.6, 30.6 and, 20.2 g per kg $BW^{0.75}$ on the four diets which were significantly (p<0.05) different between the treatments. Inclusion of spent compost straw up to 20% of the diet did not affect the digestibility of DM, OM, CF, ADF and NDF, but the diet containing 30% compost straw had statistically (p<0.05) lower digestibilities. Nitrogen balance was also significantly (p<0.05) different between the treatments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1133-1136
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• 2000

Wheat straw was treated with 4 per cent urea at a moisture level of 50 per cent alongwith different levels of boric acid viz. 1, 2, 3 and 4 per cent, under laboratory conditions to know the impact of boric acid on ammonia-N fixation in the straw. Murrah buffaloes were used for determining the disappearance of dry matter, CP and fibre constituents by nylon bag technique. Ammoniation increased CP content of wheat straw, which increased further due to addition of boric acid. Low level of boric acid (1%) had no adverse effect on fibre constituents disappearance but at higher levels there was a depressioon in the disappearance of fibre coonstituents. It can be concluded that low level of boric acid was sufficient to trap the excess ammonia released during urea ammoniation of wheat straw without affecting other constituents and their disappearance in the rumen of buffaloes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.545-548
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• 1992

Twelve indigenous buffalo heifers were grouped into 3 and were supplied with following diets-urea-ensiled rice straw + wheat bran + green grass (A); rice straw soaked in urea-water + wheat bran + green grass (B); and untreated straw + wheat bran + green grass (C); so that each group received any one diet. Total dry matter intake was highest in animals on diet C and lowest on B. However, straw DM intake was highest in animals on silage diet and lowest on untreated straw diet. Organic matter and crude fibre digestibility of silage and soaked straw diets were significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of untreated straw diet. Although the values were lower with soaked straw diet than on silage diet and soaked straw diet were significantly (p < 0.01) higher, however, the value for silage diet was not significantly different from that of soaked straw diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.359-364
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• 2016

The study was carried out to explore the effects of replacing wheat straw with fungal treated wheat straw as an ingredient of total mixed ration (TMR) on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility in Nili Ravi buffalo male calves. Fungal treated wheat straw was prepared using Arachniotus sp. Four TMRs were formulated where wheat straw was replaced with 0 (TMR1), 33 (TMR2), 67 (TMR3), and 100% (TMR4) fungal treated wheat straw in TMR. All TMRs were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. The experimental TMRs were randomly assigned to four groups of male calves (n = 6) according to completely randomized design and the experiment continued for four months. The calves fed TMR2 exhibited a significant improve in dry matter intake, average daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and feed economics compared to other groups. The same group also showed higher digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, neutral-, and acid detergent fibers than those fed on other TMRs. It is concluded that TMR with 33% fungal-treated wheat straw replacement has a potential to give an enhanced growth performance and nutrient digestibility in male Nili Ravi buffalo calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.1049-1053
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• 1999

Chopped wheat straw (0.5-1.5 cm) was subjected to different treatment combinations in a $5{\times}4$ factorial arrangement involving the five levels of urea (0, 2, 3, 4 and 5%, w/w) and four levels of lime (0, 2, 4 and 6%, w/w) at 50% moisture and kept for 3 wk reaction period at about $35{^{\circ}C}$ in laboratory. Treated wheat straw samples were analyzed to study the associative effect of urea and lime on chemical composition, in sacco and in vitro digestibilities. Results showed that cell wall constituents (CWC) solubilized significantly (p<0.01) due to urea and lime treatment on one hand and substantially increase the crude protein (CP) on the other in wheat straw. The main effect on synergism of both chemicals was noticed on organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), hemicellulose (HC), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and silica by solubilising their contents as a result of considerable increase in cell contents in treated wheat straw. The respective decreases were 5.45, 13.0, 37.23, 44.95 and 26.16% in different treatment combinations. The most interesting feature of the treatment was evident by increase in ash content on each level of lime application. CP content increase up to 12.78% due to urea treatment in comparison with untreated wheat straw (2.56%). The effect of solubilization of structural carbohydrates and increased crude protein due to synergistic effect of urea and lime were clearly seen on improved digestibility of OM and DM. The increase in ISOMD, ISDMD, and IVDMD were 21.67, 21.67, 16.24, and 17.5 units. The increase in digestibility were relative to additions of both chemicals and digestibility values increased with increasing levels of urea plus lime concentration in different treatment combination. The maximum improvement was noticed at 4% urea and 4% lime levels at 50% moisture for 3 wk reaction period in treated wheat straw.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1996

In this Experiment three wether male Matou goats (♂), all fitted with permanent rumen fistulae, were used to study the rumen degradabilities (incubation time 48h) of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent ligin (ADL), cellulose (CEL) and hemicellulose (HC) and their contents of wheat and rice straws were determined for the different morphological fractions and segments. The results showed that the variation of different fractions for wheat and rice straw is the true resources of their nutritive value variation and the cell wall contents of wheat and rice straw are also obviously different. The rumen degradabilities of different straw fibre are significantly different (p<0.01), mean while the effect of straw variety is also significant (p<0.05). The aim was to set up a foundation for studying the rumen degradation of the roughage resources.