Nutrition and Food Chemistry

Biography

Biography: David A Brown

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Goats play important roles in the communal areas of South Africa. However, their productivity is constrained by shortage of good quality feed, especially during the long dry season. Poor nutrition results in low productivity and death in extreme cases. Goats also emit methane (CH₄) gas which contributes to loss of dietary gross energy and global warming. There is evidence that tanniniferous feeds in the diets of ruminants, such as Acacia nilotica leaves, may improve goat productivity and decrease CH₄ production. However, this evidence is inconclusive.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of tanniniferous Acacia nilotica leaf meal inclusion levels on productivity and CH₄ emission in yearling Boer bucks.

Materials & Methodology: Twenty-four yearling Boer bucks with an average live weight of 23±2 kg were allocated, in a completely randomized design, to four dietary treatments containing Acacia nilotica leaf meal inclusion levels of 10, 15, 20 or 30% of the total diet. The goats were fed ad libitum, allowing a 15% refusal of each diet. The experimental lasted for 21 days. Feed intake was measured throughout the study period. Methane emissions were measured using a hand-held CH₄ detector. Methane produced was then read as parts per million-metre (ppm-m). The effects of Acacia nilotica leaf meal inclusion levels were subjected to analysis of covariance. Where the covariates showed no significant effect, the data was analyzed with analysis of variance at 5% level of probability with diet as a fixed factor.

Findings: Acacia nilotica leaf meal improved diet crude protein. Additionally, inclusion of Acacia nilotica leaf meal reduced CH₄ emission in Boer bucks.

Conclusion & Significance: Acacia nilotica leaf meal had positive impact on animal productivity and enteric methane emissions. Thus, Acacia nilotica leaves have a potential of being a protein feed for ruminants.