Department of Animal Science, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145,Nainital (U.P.)
Online published on 21 January, 2012.
lii an in vitro study, wheat straw was treated with 3 concentrations of lime (4,6 and 8 kg/100kg dry matter) at 3 moisture levels (30, 45 and 60%) over four lengths of curing period (0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks). Lime treated straw (8 kg/100 kg dry matter) at 60% moisture and stacked for 12 weeks, resulted in maximum decrease in NDF, ADF, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents and increase in NBDMD. For feeding trial, wheat straw was treated with 4% lime, with or without diammoniun phosphate (DAP) supplementation to correct the Ca/P ratio at 45%moisture level and stacked for 4 weeks. These were compared with untreated, urea supplemented or lime plus urea treated straw on growing heifers. All the rations were made isonitrogenous with the control ration consisting of untreated straw supplemented with concentrate. The crude protein digestibility was highest on the DAP supplemented ration but this resulted in the lowest dry matter intake. The animals in this treatment lost body weight and showed negative balances of Ca and P. It was inferred that DAP was not a good source for balancing calcium/phosphorus ratio in lime treated straw.
