Nutrient content and quality of soybean meal waste fermented by Aspergillus ficuum and Neurospora crassa

Abstract

Present research aimed to increase soybean meal waste quality and nutrient by fermentation using different ratio of mixed fungus inoculum (Aspergillus ficuum and Neurospora crassa) and fermentation time. The primary materials were soybean meal waste (SMW), fungus Aspergillus ficuum and Neurospora crassa. The experiment applied a completely randomized design (CRD) with a 3 × 3 factorial pattern and three replications. Two treatments were given in this study, factor A (combination of A. ficuum and N. crassa), comprising of A1 (3:1), A2 (3:2), and A3 (3:3). Factor B (fermentation time) comprising of B1 (5 days), B2 (7 days), and B3 (9 days). The variance analysis exposed a highly significant interaction between factor A and factor B, and those factors also exposed a highly significant effect. The correlation between SMW crude protein and broiler nitrogen retention showed a positive trend, contrary SMW crude fiber content negatively affected crude fiber digestibility. In conclusion, the combination of A. ficuum and N. crassa (3:2) and seven days fermentation period showed optimal results as seen from 28.25% crude protein, 13.77% crude fibre, 61.16 nitrogen retention and 58.76% crude fibre digestibility of fermented SMW. Keywords: Aspergillus ficuum, Crude protein, Digestibility, Fermentation, Neurospora crassa.