Physico-chemical properties and digestibility of ammoniated Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) shell for ruminants

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the physical properties, chemical quality, and digestibility of the ammoniated Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) shell as ruminant feed. Bambara groundnut shell (BGS) were collected, ground with a grinder machine, afterward added 0, 3 and 5 (% DM) urea levels into 500 g of sample. Samples were mixed until homogeneous, then put into plastic bottles, after that stored for 7 and 14 days. Opened, dried in the oven at 650C for 48 hours and ground. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used with 5 treatments of BGS ammoniation (T0= control, T1= BGS + 3% urea and 7 days storage, T2= BGS +5% urea and 7 days storage, T3= BGS + 3% urea and 14 days storage, and T4= BGS + 5% urea and 14 days storage time), 4 replications each. The result of this study showed that the increase of urea level and days storage time, can decrease crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose contents of all samples (P<0.05) and increase the value of bulk density, tapped density, in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro organic matter digestibility in comparison to untreated samples (P<0.05). It was concluded that the T4 was the best treatment. The BGS ammoniated with 5% urea for a period 14 days of storage causes the lowest value of crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose, and also causes the highest value of bulk density, tapped density, crude protein, in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro organic matter.