In a 4 x 4 latin square design, the effect of replacing groundnut cake-N with extruded deoiled salseed meal (DOSSM) urea (Salurea-90) at 0 (CM-1), 33 (CM-2), 67 (CM-3) and 100 (CM-4) per cent on nutrient utilization and N-metabolites in rumen and blood were studied in crossbred steers. The DM and NFE digestibilities were significantly (P<0.01) reduced at 67 and 100 per cent replacement and the CP and EE digestibilities were unaffected upto 67 per cent of replacement. N retention and rumen NH3-N S(RAN) production were unaffected. RAN Vs blood ammonia nitrogen (BAN) and rumen pH Vs blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were correlated when groundnut eake-N was replaced by salurea-90 N at 67 per cent. The results showed that Salurea-90 could replace up to 67 per cent groundnut cake-N in the diets of growing steers.
