Effects Of Replacement Of Different Proportions Of Pineapple (Ananas Comosus) Waste Silage By Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Nemoralis) Silage In Mixed Diets On Digestion, Microbial N Production, Blood Metabolites And Performance In Thai Growing Male Swamp Buff

Pineapple waste has been widely used as fiber and energy source for feeding of ruminant livestock including cattle and buffaloes in many South-East Asian countries. However, particle size of the industry processed pineapple waste is very fine and could possibly pass through the rumen too fast and thus resulted in low digestibility of the diet. The objective of the experiment reported in this thesis was to substitute various proportions of pineapple waste with vetiver grass (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) to reduce the solid digesta passage rate in the rumen and thus increase the digestibility of diet in a ratio of 40% pineapple wastes: 60% concentrate. In addition, effects of various treatments on voluntary intake, microbial protein production, blood metabolites and animal performance in growing male swamp buffalo were also investigated. The results of experiments were as follows:1. Dry matter intake of the animals increased linearly with increasing levels of vetiver grass inclusion in the diets, which ranged from 3.33 kg/day in diet with 40% pineapple waste plus 0% vetiver grass treatment (40P:0VG) to 5.11 kg/day in diet containing 10% pineapple waste and 30% vetiver grass (10P:30VG). Similarly, organic matter intake increased from 3.05kg/day for 40P:0VG diet to 4.65kg/day for 10P:30VG treatment, while intake of neutral detergent fiber remained almost constant among treatments (ranged between 1.10 to 1.24kg/day). However, coefficient of apparent digestibility of dry matter (0.81 to 0.55), organic matter (0.84 to 0.49) and neutral detergent fiber (0.81 to 0.49) decreased linearly with increasing proportion of vetiver grass in the diets, resulted in no significant differences in both digestible dry matter intake (2.71~3.03kg/day) and digestible organic matter intake (2.57~2.91kg/day) among the different treatments.