RUMINAL DEGRADABILITY OF Moringa oleifera FOLIAGE AT THREE DIFFERENT REGROWTH AGES

Abstract

The effect of three different regrowth ages (45, 60 and 75 days) and nine incubation times (3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96 y 120 hours) on dry matter (MS) and organic matter (MO) ruminal degradability of Moringa oleifera foliage was studied in a completely randomized design with a two-factor factorial treatment structure with four replicates. Ørskov and McDonald (1979) model was used to estimate the ruminal degradability where all parameters were evaluated using non-linear regression. In order to know the effect of incubation time over the degradability rate for each regrowth age analysis of variance and Tukey’s honest significant difference were performed. At 48 hours of incubation time the potential degradability of MS and MO decreased (p<0.001) from 81.48% to 73.27% and from 58.87% to 52.28%, respectively, and this happened when regrowth age of Moringa foliages increased from 45 to 75 days. In conclusion, Moringa foliages of 45-day-old regrowth and 48 hours of incubation time showed the highest (p<0.001) potential degradability of MS and MO with 81.46% and 58.87%, respectively.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/calera.v13i21.1637