Chemical Changes and Degradability of Chemically Treated Wheat Straw

Wheat straw was treated with water (T₂); sodium hydroxide (T₃); sodium sulphite (T₄); ammonium hydroxide alone (T₅), along with water (T₆); boiling water (T₇); sulphuric acid (T₈) and ammonium sulphate (T₉) to improve Its nutritive value. The various structural constituents like NDF, ADF, heniicellulose, lignin and CP with (he exception of cellulose were significantly (P<0.01) affected due to treatments. Treatment T₂ increased (P<0.01) NDF and heraiceliulose, but rest of the treatments decreased (P< 0.01) NDF, heitticeilulose and lignin. Maximal decrease (42.8%) in lignin content was observed due to treatments T₅ and T₉, and minimum with T₇. Treatments other than T₂ and T₇ enhanced (P<0.01) the rumen degradable dry matter, cellulose degradabie dry matter and cellulose degradahility, maximum observed with T₈. The data indicated that ammonium hydroxide was equally good to degrade straw at par with sodium hydroxide.