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Subject: Livestock Production and Management × Author: INDIRA, D × End date: 2009 × Start date: 2007 × Thesis Type: M.V.Sc. ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    EFFECT OF AZOLLA (AZOLLA PINNATA) SUPPLEMENTATION IN MALE BUFFALO CALVES ON NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE
    (SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY TIRUPATI - 517 502. (A.P.) INDIA, 2007) INDIRA, D; SARJAN RAO, K(MAJOR)
    ABSTRACT: An experiment was conducted to optimise the environmental conditions required for culturing of Azolla pinnata in 24 pits (2 x 2 x 0.2 m) using different manures (cattle, sheep, poultry, and pig manures) in a 4 x 3 factorial design. The optimum environmental conditions were in the range of 28.94 – 33.46°C, 1413.29 – 1561.57 lux and 47.28 – 64.85 (%) of temperature, light intensity and relative humidity respectively, which favoured the vegetative mass yield of 3.73 Kg and dry matter yield of 172 g per pit per week. The dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, NFE, NDF and ADF values of fresh Azolla pinnata and Azolla supplemented (50% replacement of groundnut cake nitrogen with Azolla meal) experimental diets were 4.23 and 90.01, 28.24 and 17.62, 22.25 and 10.0, 4.0 and 4.64, 30.71 and 57.04, 72.05 and 44.2 and 66.18 and 20.1 percent, respectively. The amino acid profile revealed that Azolla pinnata had 47 percent of essential amino acids and poor source of sulphur containing amino acids. In a growth trial using 12 male buffalo calves (6 in each group, 2 groups) in a Completely Randomised Design, the average daily gain (ADG) and feed cost per Kg body weight gain recorded were 294 g and Rs.13.58 in Azolla supplemented diet, against control diet, which was significantly (P<0.01) higher in average daily gain and cheaper in terms of cost effectiveness. The study on the feeding value of Azolla on nutrient utilisation using 12 male buffalo calves in a Completely Randomised Design showed, significantly (P<0.01) higher digestibility coefficients (%) for all the nutrients except for ADF. Hence Azolla pinnata is a potential protein supplement in the conventional control diets. By replacing protein resources such as groundnut cake, the cost of feeding can be reduced