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Effect of the rumen environment on sugarcane stems degradability

The effect of the rumen environment on NDF degradability of 12 sugarcane cultivars was evaluated. Diets contained: 87.1% of sugarcane (Cane) or 42.0% of sugarcane and 58.0% of concentrates with corn (Corn) or citrus pulp (Citrus). Six rumen cannulated cows formed 3x3 Latin Squares. For 11 days of each experimental period, the intake of dry matter was fixed at 1.2% of body weight. On day 12, low ruminal pH was induced on Corn and Citrus by pulse dosing corn or citrus pulp into the rumen. Simultaneously, urea was added to the rumen in all treatments. Nylon bags containing the cultivars were incubated for 24 h on the 11th and 12th days. Rumen pH on day 11 was 7.01 and NH3 was 3.4, 4.4 and 6.2 mg/dl for Cane, Corn and Citrus, respectively. Ruminal pH on day 12 was 6.98 for Cane, 6.49 for Corn and 6.04 for Citrus and NH3 was 13.0 mg/dl. For Cane, ruminal NDF degradability was 21% on day 11 and 28% on day 12, for Corn and Citrus it was around 21% in both days. The ranking of cultivars based on ruminal NDF degradability was similar in distinct rumen environments.

associative effect; citrus pulp; digestibility; fiber; starch


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