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Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

Year: 2007 | Volume: 2 | Issue: 3 | Page No.: 115-124
DOI: 10.3923/ajava.2007.115.124
Effect of Processing Tapioca Leaves on Rumen Fermentation
R. Murugeswari, V. Balakrishnan and R. Vijayakumar

Abstract: Degradability studies of processed tapioca leaves in the form of hay and silage for both the varieties (White Rose (H226) and Mulluvaadi (MVD-1)) conducted in RUSITEC and compared with unprocessed tapioca leaves. It was found that unprocessed tapioca leaves had high soluble degradable dry matter and high effective degradability than processed (hay and silage) tapioca leaves. The RDN and UDN values were found to vary between unprocessed and processed leaves but the total absorbable nitrogen values were similar between processed and unprocessed for both the varieties. A study was also undertaken to examine the need for supplementation for improvement of microbial production. Supplementation of digestible organic matter to the extent of 10.99 to 12.31% was suggested as a tool to exploit the full potential nutritive value of processed and unprocessed tapioca leaves. Further in vitro rumen fermentation studies also revealed Higher pH (7.30), lower propionic acid (8.05 mM L-1) and TVFA (36.90 mM L-1), higher ammonia nitrogen (12.17 mg%) and lower microbial protein synthesis (45.17 mg%) clearly tilt the favour against unprocessed tapioca leaves and suggestive that processing of tapioca leaves (White Rose (H226) and Mulluvaadi (MVD-1)) was desirable over unprocessed tapioca leaves. Hence this study recommends processing of tapioca leaves as hay or silage for year round availability.

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How to cite this article
R. Murugeswari, V. Balakrishnan and R. Vijayakumar, 2007. Effect of Processing Tapioca Leaves on Rumen Fermentation. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 2: 115-124.

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