Transcript Azolla

Effects of Supplementation with Brachiaria, Cassava leaf meal
and Azolla on beef cattle productivity and rumen microbes in
semi arid areas Kenya
Bernard Kipkoech Korir
SUPERVISORS
Prof. Wanyoike, M.M.M
Prof. Badamana, M
Dr. Kuria, J.K.N
Dr. Mwangi, D. M
Background
• ASALs have great potential but overlooked
• fastest-growing agricultural subsector
• 30% agric. GDP in developing nations (IFAD, 2010).
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In Kenya:
70% livestock pop.
Valued Kshs 70b
67% of red meat (Juma et al., 2010)
Background
• Contribution of livestock to Kenya’s economy
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Employs 50% of agric labour force
5.6 – 12.6% to national GDP (KEBS, Muthami et al 2011)
30-45% of agric GDP (Muthee 2006)
Source of livelihood for 6 million pastoralists and agro-pastoralists living in ASAL
• The population estimates for beef cattle is 14M heads and projected to
increase to 18.5M by 2014.
• Beef production is mainly from Zebu animals with a small proportion from
commercial exotic/zebu beef animals.
• Kenyans consume ~600,000 MT of red meat per annum (meat & offal from
cattle, sheep, goats and camels).
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Background …
• While pastoralists account for majority of Kenya’s meat supply (60-65%
of the total)
– 35-45% come from the ASALs
– The rest (20-25%) comes from neighboring countries (Ethiopia,
Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda),
– Culls from dairy farms contribute another 30% of beef, while
ranches provide 4% of which 15% is slaughtered for home
consumption.
– Hence Kenya is a meat deficit country.
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Background …
• Overall, the annual deficit of beef is is expected to increase to 50,000
MT by end of 2014;
• If and when KMC re-opens, there is potential to start beef exports to the
African, Middle East and EU regions subject to meeting export
regulations and sanitary standards set by importers.
• There is also potential for exports of live animals (value-added by
fattening) to Middle East, EU and Africa.
• Research on beef should focus on its production to meet the national
deficit and development of markets especially meeting standards for
international markets (Livestock APVC Report).
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Problem statement
Poor nutrition is the most important factor contributing to low productivity of grazing
livestock particularly in the rangelands due to seasonality of forage production and
fluctuating quality , lack of strategies for year-round feeding as well as mineral
deficiencies, imbalances and toxicities
The fluctuation in feed quality affects rumen microbial organisms resulting suboptimal
feed fermentation and digestion
Need to evaluate alternative feed supplements of high nutritive value such as the
recently introduced brachiaria mulato II, cassava leaf meal and Azolla that can be
used to ameliorate the poor quality feeds and improve beef cattle performance
Problem statement …
Annual forage biomass fluctuation
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Justification
 Adequate nutrition is essential for achieving desirable levels of animal
performance including body condition, weight gain, milk yield,
reproductive efficiency and ultimately farm profitability.
 Supplementation of cattle with high quality fodder and commercial
concentrates during periods of feed scarcity has been shown to be
beneficial.
 In spite of the potential benefit from the use of supplementary feeds
during the dry period, most beef cattle producers do not practice it and
suffer major losses in production.
 The main cause is that available supplementary feeds such as cotton seed
cake, sunflower cake etc are expensive and not easily accessible.
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Justification …
• Therefore, there is need to identify, test and promote affordable feed
supplements aimed at improving beef cattle nutrition and health.
• This may provide the necessary incentive for the adoption of improved
production methods, including supplementation.
• This would lead to increased production efficiency and improved longterm economic viability of cattle rearing enterprises.
• Such feeds include Cassava leaf meal, Brachiaria and Azolla
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What is Azolla?
• Azolla is an aquatic fern regarded as “Live Nitrogen Manufacturing
Factory” because, it has a symbiotic association with the nitrogen fixing
Cyanobacteria.
• The genus Azolla belongs to the family Azollaceae and it has 5 species
namely:• A.Pinnata
• A. nilotica
• A. filiculoides
• A. Mexicana
• A. caroliniana
• A. microphylla
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CHARACTERISTICS OF AZOLLA
• Extensively used as biofertilizer and green manuring for rice cultivation
• Azolla has very fast growing character
• It doubles its biomass in 3-5 days
• Azolla fixes 40-60 kg N/ha in rice crop
• It is rich in proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals
• On a dry weight basis, Azolla has 25-35% protein content, 10-15%
mineral content, and 7-10% comprising a combination of amino acids,
bio-active substances and biopolymers (Kamalasanana et al., 2002)
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CHARACTERISTICS OF AZOLLA …..
• It has been reported that one hectare of Azolla can
produce 540-720 kg of protein per month Tran
&Dao (1979) .
• Experiments have proved that the quantity and
quality of milk yield of cattle improves when fed
with Azolla
• Azolla therefore shows a huge potential in both
Biomass yield and protein per unit time and area
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Comparison of Annual biomass and protein
content of Azolla with other fodder
Biomass (MT/ha)
DM content (MT/ha)
Protein content (%)
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Napier
250
20-30
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Lucerne
80
8-12
20.6 (12 – 31.8)
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Rhodes grass
35
10-25
8.9 (5.1 – 15.9)
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Azolla
1,000
80
24 (13.9-28.1)
9.7 ( 2.8 – 22.7)
Source www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Newpub/napier/tumbukiza_method.htm
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Feedipedia - Animal Feed Resources Information System - INRA CIRAD AFZ and FAO © 20122013
Objective
The overall objective of this study will be to
evaluate Brachiaria mulato II, Cassava leaf
meal and Azolla as supplements to cattle.
Specific Objectives
To investigate and document the production, and chemical composition
of Brachiaria, Cassava leaf meal and Azolla in Kenya.
To formulate and evaluate feed supplements from Brachiaria, Cassava
and Azolla for grazing cattle in Kenya.
To determine the influence of the feed supplements on rumen microbial
characteristics and fermentation patterns in beef cattle.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment one:
To investigate and document the production, and chemical composition of
Brachiaria, Cassava leaf meal and Azolla in Southeastern Kenya.
1.
Information on Cassava farming will be gathered through administering a
questionnaire
i.
A motorable road will be selected and used as a transect and every third
household on either side (alternately) will be selected
ii.
Heads of 120 households will be interviewed
iii. Data to be collected will include acreage under cassava, the varieties
grown and how they are utilized
2.
Information on yields will be obtained from secondary data and the KARI
Kiboko farm
MATERIALS AND METHODS
To investigate and document the production, and chemical composition of
Brachiaria, Cassava leaf meal and Azolla in Southeastern Kenya
2. Data on Brachiaria productivity will be obtained from the KARI Kiboko forage farm. The
grass is under over head irrigation and was planted in July 2011.
i.
The data to obtained will be biomass (DM) yield per unit area.
ii.
A quadrant measuring 0.25 m2 will be randomly placed in the field and all the plants
inside the quadrant will be clipped
iii.
For DM yield samples will be oven dried at 650c for 48 hours and dry weights taken.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment one cont’d:
3. The productivity of Azolla
I.
Biomass characterization of Azolla from different areas of the country.
II.
The different species and/or ecotypes will be grown separately in 2x2 m ponds to determine
their productivity
III.
About 10kg of soil will be uniformly spread on the pond
IV.
The pond will be filled with water up to a depth of 10cm and then inoculated with Azolla
V.
Samples will be collected after an initial 15 day period following inoculation of the ponds
VI.
Biomass yield will be determined
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment one cont’d:
4. Determination of the chemical composition of brachiaria mulato II, Cassava
and Azolla (CP, NDF, ADF, Ash, EE and IVDMD)
i.
Dried feed samples will be ground with hammer mill through a 1-mm sieve
and stored for subsequent analysis
ii.
Crude Protein (CP) will be determined through the Kjeldal procedure (AOAC
2005)
iii. The fibre fraction will be determined through the method described by Van
Soest et al. (1991)
iv. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) will also be determined as described
by Menke et al. (1979)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment two
To formulate and evaluate feed supplements from Brachiaria, Cassava and Azolla from
Southeastern Kenya.
i.
East African Short Horned Zebu weaner steers will be used to evaluate the
feeding value of the formulated supplements
ii.
The experimental animals will be grazed in natural pastures composed
predominantly of Eragrostis superba, Cenchrus ciliaris and Chloris
roxburghiana
iii. Treatment 1 shall not receive any supplements
iv. Treatment 2 shall receive brachiaria mulato II
v.
Treatment 3 shall receive brachiaria mulato II plus cassava leaf meal
vi. Treatment 4 shall receive brachiaria mulato II plus Azolla
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment two cont’d
i.
The experiment will be a completely randomized design (CRD) and each
treatment will be replicated four times
ii.
Each animal will be the experimental unit
iii. Water and Mineral salts will be available ad libitum in the night pen
iv. The diets shall be formulated such that they provide the shortfall in the cp
the animals get from grazing
iv. Weight gains by the weaners will be used to monitor performance of the
experimental animals for 16 weeks
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment three: To determine the influence of the feed supplements on rumen
fermentation patterns and microbial populations in beef cattle
i. Rumen samples will be obtained from the animals in experiment two by use
of rubber tubing inserted through the mouth
ii.
Rumen fluid will be immediately measured for pH
iii. Rumen ammonia nitrogen will be determined using an auto analyzer
iv.
VFA will be analyzed using the HPLC according to procedure of Samuel et al
1997
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experiment three cont’d
i.
DNA extraction and amplification using the PCR as described by Yu and
Morrison (2004)
ii.
Cleaning of PCR products described by Simpson(1999)
iii. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) as described by Yu and
Morrison (2004)
iv. Analysis of DGGE DNA bands for identification of microbial organisms
v.
Use RT(Q)-PCR for quantification of microbial organisms
Expected outputs
1.
Biomass yields and nutritional content of brachiaria mulato II, cassava leaf
meal and the different species of azolla determined and documented
2.
Nutritional value of brachiaria mulato II, cassava leaf meal and azolla as
supplements to grazing animals tested and documented
3.
Ruminal microbial dynamics and fermentation
supplementation identified and documented
4.
PhD Thesis
patterns
with
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