Nutritive Evaluation of Straws for Available Energy and Forage Quality based on Prediction Equations

A study was undertaken to predict the TDN content of straws by the summative approach model using the equations of NRC (2001). Forage Quality Indices such as RFV and RFQ were calculated based on DMI, DDM and TDN for straws which in turn are dependent on NDF and ADF, respectively. Six straws were analyzed for their proximate constituents, detergent fiber components, NDIN, ADIN and the TDN and forage quality was then calculated. The TDN (%), RFV and RFQ for various straws such as rice (42.3, 65 and 55), maize (47.8, 82 and 70), red gram (47.6, 79 and 70), horse gram (48.3, 72 and 67), sorghum (45.7, 73 and 63) and finger millet (44.2, 71 and 61), respectively were obtained. It was concluded that the summative approach provides a rapid, inexpensive and accurate means to calculate the energy density (TDN) of straws and graded as poor quality based on RFV and RFQ.