USING SOME BIOCHEMICAL TREATMENTS TO IMPROVE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF SOME POOR QUALITY ROUGHAGES (IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES)

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of some biochemical treatments on the chemical composition in vitro,  in vivo digestibility and nutritive values of some poor quality roughages, i.e. sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and corn cobs (Ccb). The experimental treatments were either 3-liter ZAD compound (Liquor) or 5 kg ZADO powder compound (a biotechnical powder product made from natural sources of cellulase enzyme from anaerobic bacteria) added to 500-liter water + 50 kg molasses and 20 kg urea/ton roughages. Sugar cane bagasse (SCB) and corn cobs (Ccb) treated with biological treatments (ZAD and/or ZADO compounds) and/or chemical treatment (urea) were ensiled for 30 days (In-vitro). Five biochemical treatments for both of the two tested roughages were conducted as follows;  Untreated SCB or Ccb and served as a control (T1 & T6), SCB or Ccb treated with 3 litter ZAD compound (liquor)/ton +5% molasses (T2 & T7),  SCB or Ccb treated with 3 litter ZAD compound (liquor)/ton + 2% urea + 5% molasses (T3T i.e. decreased (P<0.05) NDF, ADF, ADL, acid ash and hemicellulose, and showed insignificant effect on both of cellulose and lignin contents for both the two treated materials. However, variable significant responses were evident in the changes occurred in fiber fractions for both the two treated roughages. Adding ZAD and ZADO compounds to untreated roughages led to improve (P<0.05) nutrients coefficients digestibility and nutritive values in comparison with the untreated materials. However, both the two complete mixed rations indicated similar TDN, SE and DCP values i.e. 60.75% and 62.57%, 56.55% and 58.16% and 9.48% vs. 9.28% for both of SCB and Ccb rations, respectively. On the light of the present results, it could be concluded that treating poor quality roughages (SCB & Ccb) with the natural biological additives (probiotics ZAD & ZADO compounds) led to improve roughage chemical composition, digestibility of their nutrients, roughage palatability and in turn, might contribute to the marginal field of available roughage resources.