Partial replacement of sugarcane with cactus (Opuntia stricta) cladodes improves milk yield and composition in Holstein dairy cows
B. M. S. Sánchez A , A. S. C. Véras A , E. V. Freitas B , L. R. Farias A , J. G. S. S. Albuquerque A , G. A. P. Almeida A , R. E. Mora-Luna A C , C. C. F. Monteiro
A D * , M. A. S. Gama E and M. A. Ferreira A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Animal Science, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE 52171900, Brazil.
B Agronomic Institute of Pernambuco, São Bento do Una, PE 55370000, Brazil.
C National Experimental University of Táchira, San Cristóbal, Venezuela.
D State Univervity of Alagoas, Santana do Ipanema, AL 57500000, Brazil.
E Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Embrapa Gado de Leite, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36038-330, Brazil.
Animal Production Science 62(7) 691-699 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19648
Submitted: 13 December 2019 Accepted: 8 February 2022 Published: 3 March 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Sugarcane is widely used as a forage source for dairy production in tropical areas worldwide. However, due to its low fibre degradability, large amounts of concentrates are needed to meet the energy requirements of high-producing cows, increasing production costs.
Aims: To evaluate how partially replacing sugarcane with cactus (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw) cladodes affects nutrient intake and digestibility, feeding behaviour, protein efficiency, milk yield, and milk composition of Holstein dairy cows.
Methods: Ten lactating Holstein cows producing 22.04 kg/day (s.d. ± 1.94) were assigned to one of five diets in a duplicated 5 × 5 Latin square design. The diets were a control diet of sorghum silage and concentrates and four dietary treatments containing different proportions of cactus cladodes as a substitute for sugarcane (replacement levels of 0%, 17%, 34%, 52% on a DM basis). Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous, and the roughage:concentrate ratio was 64:36 on a DM basis.
Key results: Milk yield and energy-corrected milk yield increased quadratically with an increasing amount of cactus cladodes in the diet. Maximum yields of 23.7 kg milk/day and 26.1 kg energy-corrected milk/day were achieved when 34.6% and 37.6% of sugarcane was replaced with cactus cladodes respectively. Milk protein and solids contents increased linearly, and there was no impact on fat and lactose content. Feed intake changed in a quadratic manner in response to an increased cactus cladode content, with maximum intakes being observed when cactus cladodes replaced 30% of sugarcane in the diet. Nutrient digestibility was unaffected by dietary treatments. Time spent on feeding was reduced and idling time was increased as the concentration of cactus cladodes increased in the diet.
Conclusion: Partial replacement of sugarcane with cactus cladodes can increase dairy cows’ milk yield without causing any detrimental effects on milk composition or other production-related variables.
Implications: Cactus cladodes can be an important forage source for dairy cows and other ruminants in the semiarid region of Brazil and other drylands across the globe.
Keywords: agribusiness, energy, indigestible NDF, livestock, milk fat, performance, roughage:concentrate ratio, semiarid.
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