Quality and Rumen Fermentation Profile of Indigenous Forage on Karst Mountain

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and rumen fermentation kinetics of indigenous forages that were common to fed the goats by farmers. The method used was a survey by identifying the forages for the goat fed by the farmers surrounding South Gombong, Central Java, karst hills. The soil chemical compound consists of C-organic: 2.6-4.3%; Ca-total 0.108–0.924%; N-total 0.267–0.427%; P 2 O 5- total 0.095–0.184%; and K 2 O total 0.122– 0.237%. The identified forages were then analyzed for the nutrients content by proximate method and followed with in vitro method for analyzed the rumen fermentation profile. The results of this study showed that there were 20 species of forage that were fed to goat, which were dominated by 5 species of grasses with the nutrients content were crude fiber (CF): 32.69-39.50%, crude protein (CP): 5.73-10.96%, total digestible nutrient (TDN): 50.66-54.71%, and the rumen fermentation profiles were dry matter digestibility (DMD): 34.36-40.35%, organic matter digestibility (OMD): 48.32–52.37%, volatile fatty acids (VFA): 40-73 mM, ammonia (NH 3 ): 3.6-8.0%. There were 3 species of legumes with nutrients content and fermentation profile were CF: 21.20-39.98%, CP: 13.80-22.64%, TDN: 50.14-69.16%, DMD: 41.26-47.94%, OMD: 53.16-57.66%, VFA: 52-125 mM, NH 3 : 7.30-15.6 mM. Ten species of schrubs and two trees were also identified. The nutrients content and fermentation profile of the scrubs were CF: 22.74-36.72%, CP: 12.15-16.94%, TDN: 52.30-64.79%, DMD: 33.66-51.54%, OMD: 47.36-63.28%, VFA: 20-130 mM, NH 3 : 2.70-10.80 mM, and for the trees were CF: 23.72-33.88%, CP :12.50-13.34%, TDN: 56.06-62.99%, DMD: 37.98-38.62%, OMD: 49.62-49.64%, VFA: 17-42 mM, NH 3 : 1.90-4.80mM. This study concludes that Cynodon dactilon , Calliandra calothyrsus , Commelina difusa and Artocarpus heterophylus are the potential forage to develop in karst mountain.