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Influence of Sulfur on Fresh Cassava Foliage and Cassava Hay Incubated in Rumen Fluid of Beef Cattle |
C. Promkot, M. Wanapat, C. Wachirapakorn, C. Navanukraw |
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Abstract |
Two male, rumen fistulated crossbred Brahman-Thai native beef cattle (body weight = 400??0 kg), fed on rice straw as a source of roughage, were used as rumen fluid sources. The treatments were 2?? factorial arrangements; two roughages (fresh cassava foliage and cassava hay) and three sulfur levels (elemental sulfur) at 0.2 (control), 0.5 and 1% of DM, respectively. The experiment revealed that the rates (c) of gas production, ammonia-nitrogen concentration, true digestibility, total concentration or molar proportions of VFA and microbial biomass were not significantly different between cassava hay and fresh cassava foliage. However, all parameters for cassava hay were higher than for fresh cassava foliage. The supplementation of 0.5% sulfur to fresh cassava foliage resulted in a significant increase in the rate of gas production, true digestibility, total concentration of VFA, microbial biomass, rate of HCN disappearance, thiocyanate appearance and cyanide percentage conversion into thiocyanate. However, there were no effects of sulfur supplementation at 0.2, 0.5 and 1% to cassava hay. The finding suggests the utilization of cassava foliage for rumen microorganisms in terms of fermentation and HCN detoxification could be improved by sulfur supplementation of 0.5% of DM. |
Keywords:
Cassava Hay; Cattle; Fresh Cassava Foliage; Hydrogen Cyanide; Ruminant; Sulfur |
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