In-vitro evaluation of ensiled fruit and vegetable wastes

Chaffed cauliflower leaves (CL), fruit juice waste (FJW), or a mixture of CL and FJW in a 1:1 ratio, either alone or after mixing with either wheat straw, rice straw or berseem (T. alexandrium) straw in 70:30 ratio were ensiled for 42 days. The chemical composition of cauliflower leaves, fruit juice waste and the combination of the two revealed that these wastes had high CP, low NDF and ADF content, indicating their potential as alternate feedstuffs for dairy cattle. The ensiling of the fruit and vegetable wastes resulted in a depression (P<0.05) in the net gas production and digestibility of nutrients. The percent decrease in net gas production and digestibility of OM and NDF varied from 26.3 to 50.8%, 35.4 to 43.5% and 54.1 to 65.0%, respectively. The NDF, ADF and cellulose increased, when CL, FJW and CL-FJW were ensiled with either of the straws, by 84, 77 and 71%; 51, 35 and 54% and 69, 48 and 37%, respectively. The net gas production and OM digestibility in the ensiled FJW (irrespective of the type of supplemented straw) was higher (P<0.05) in ensiled FJW than CL. The digestibility of NDF was observed to be highest’ (P<0.05) in ensiled CL-FJW, irrespective of the type of the straw supplemented. Amongst the straws, the ensiled wheat straw, irrespective of the combination of fruit and vegetable waste, resulted in highest (P<0.05) net gas production and digestibility of nutrients.