Effect of Sesbania sesban foliage on intake, digestibility and N retention of growing goats fed Operculina turpethum forage as the basal diet

Vo Lam, Bui Phan Thu Hang and T R Preston*

Angiang University, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Vietnam
vlam@agu.edu.vn
* Cenkkter for Research and Technology Transfer
Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine apparent digestibility by goats of foliage of Operculina turpethum with or without supplementation of Sesbania sesban.  The design was a Latin Square with 4 treatments: (i) without Sesbania  (ii) supplement of Sesbania at 0.5% of body weigh on DM  basis, (iii)  supplement of Sesbania at  1.0% of body weight on DM basis and (iv)  supplement of Sesbania at 1.5% of body weight on DM basis.

DM intake and nitrogen retention showed positive curvilinear responses to level of Sesbania with the optimum at 1.0% of LW (as DM).

Key words: browse, local feed resources, supplementation

Introduction

Animal production is based on smallholder farms in the Mekong delta of Vietnam (Xuan and Sanh 1998). The total number of goats was about 34,700 in the year 2000. The number of goat has increased to 117,110 from 2001 to 2004 (Binh and Lin 2005). In Southern Vietnam, goats are confined or tethered under fruit trees (Mui 2005) and are mainly kept for meat. The development of goat production in the Mekong river delta of Vietnam is limited due to the seasonal shortage of green feeds caused by dry and flooding seasons.

Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. is common in the wetland areas of the Mekong river delta of Vietnam. It is commonly seen growing on dikes, along the canal sides and in backyards. Sesbania sesban appears to grow best where periodic water logging or flooding is followed by a progressively drier season. Sesbania sesban contains about 25% CP in DM and has been shown to be a valuable supplement for weaned local goats (Bui Phan Thu Hang et al 2011).

Operculina turpethum is a perennial herbaceous plant, with hairy vines growing 4 to 5 m in length. The leaves are alternate, very variable in shape, ovate, oblong and truncate or cordate at the base. The flowers are large, axillary and solitary.The fruit is a capsule with conspicuous enlarged sepals and thickened pedicles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operculina_turpethum).  In practice, goat farmers report that goats fed with Operculina turperthum grow fast as compared with many traditional grasses for goats.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the feeding value of different proportions of Operculina turperthum forage with Sesbania sesban fed to growing goats. 

Materials and Methods

Location and climate of the area

The experiment was done in the animal farm of Angiang University, Longxuyen city, Vietnam.

Experimental design

The animals used in the experiment were 4 male weaned crossbred goats (Bachthao x local female). The initial weight was 13 (+0.2) kg, and the age from 3 to 4 months.  

The experimental design was a 4*4  Latin-square arrangement, with 4 animals, 4 periods and 4 diets. The diets were:

• Operculina turpethum ad libitum 

• Operculina turpethum ad lib + 0.5% of  LW on DM basis of Sesbania sesban foliage 

• Operculina turpethum ad lib + 1.0% of  LW on DM basis of Sesbania sesban foliage 

• Operculina turpethum ad lib + 1.5% of  LW on DM basis of Sesbania sesban foliage 

The experiment lasted for 69 days, with 4 periods consisting of 10 days of adaptation and 5 days of collection of feces and urine, and 3 days for letting the animals move freely between periods. 

Experimental feeds and animal management 

The goats were housed in metabolism cages, de-wormed with Ivermectin, vaccinated (foot-and-mouth disease) and gradually introduced to the experimental feeds over 15 days.

Operculina turpethum vines and Sesbania sesban foliage were hung in bunches above the fodder trough. The amounta of  Sesbania sesban were based on the recorded consumption of  the Operculina on the previous day. The feed offered for each goat was weighed every morning and the animals were fed with 50% of their daily ration at 08:00 h in the morning and 50% at 14:00 h in the afternoon. Fresh water and mineral lick were supplied for the goats ad libitum. The goat house and individual cages were cleaned daily in the morning before feeding.  

Data collection and chemical analysis

During the sample collection period, feed offered, feed refusals, feces, and urine were recorded for individual animals, weighed every morning and samples pooled over 5 days. Representative samples for each goat were analysed for DM, CP and ash according to AOAC (1990).  NDF and ADF were measured according to Van Soest et al (1991).

The animals were weighed before commencement of the adaptation period and before feeding in the morning on the first day of each collection period. 

Statistical analysis

 The data from the experiment were subjected to analysis of variance using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure of Minitab Software Release version 15 (Mtab 2007). Sources of variation in the model were: diets, animals, periods and error.  

Results and Discussion

NDF and ADF contents of Sesbania foliage were slightly higher than those in fresh Operculina turpethum vines (Table 1). .

The feed intake increased with a curvilinear trend as Operculina turpethum foliage was replaced by Sesbania sesban (Table 2; Figure 1).  Crude protein intake increased in a similar way due to the effect of a higher content of CP in Sesbania sesban. Sesbania sesban has been reported as quality nitrogenous feed source for goats (Sabra et al 2010).

Apparent digestibility of crude protein showed a slight linear decline as the level of Sesbania sesban was increased (Figure 2). DM intake and nitrogen retention showed positive curvilinear responses to level of Sesbania sesban with the optimum at 1.0% of LW on dry basis (Figures 1 and 3).

Figure 1. Effect of level of supplementation with Sesbania sesban on DM intake of goats fed a basal diet of foliage of Operculina turpethum

Literature reports on the feeding of Sesbania sesban to goats have all been positive, but the reported high saponin content in fresh foliage may lower the digestibility of nutrients (Dorsaz et al 1988).

Figure 2. Effect of level of supplementation with Sesbania sesban on the apparent digestibility of crude protein in goats fed a basal diet of foliage of Operculina turpethum

Figure 3. Effect of level of supplementation with Sesbania sesban on N retention in goats fed a basal diet of foliage of Operculina turpethum

The interpretation of higher DM intakes and N retention with increasing Sesbania seban may be that the foliage from this shrub is a good source of bypass protein (Preston and Leng 1987).

By observation, in practice, goat farmers collect Operculina  turperthum  from fallow land or in the backyard to feed for goats all year round and the growth of goats was reported fast as compared with Para grass or natural water spinach.

Conclusions

• When given as the sole diet to goats, the foliage of Operculina  turperthum resulted in acceptable feed intake, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention.

• Partial replacement of Operculina  turperthum with Sesbania sesban (up to 1.0% of body weight on a DM basis) led to higher DM intake and nitrogen retention.

References

AOAC 1990 Official Methods of Analysis 13^th Edition. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington DC

Binh D V and Lin N K 2005 Research and development of improved small ruminant production systems in Vietnam. In: Workshop on Small Ruminant in South East Asia. Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2^nd-4^th, 2005.

Bui Phan Thu Hang, Vo Lam, Truong Thi Bich Phuong and Preston T R 2011 Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes): an invasive weed or a potential feed for goats? Livestock Research for Rural Development, volume 23 (7), Article#152 Retrieved July 10, 2011, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd23/7/hang23152.htm

Dorsaz A C, Hostettmann M and Hostettmann K 1988 Molluscicidal saponins from Sesbania sesban. Planta Medica 54, 225-227.

Mtab 2007 Minitab Reference Manual, Release 15 for Windows. Minitab Inc, USA.

Mui N T 2005 Country pasture/forage resource profiles, from http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGPC/doc/counprof/vie

Preston T R and Leng R A 1987  Matching ruminant livestock systems with available resources in the tropics and sub-tropics. Penambul Books, NSW, Australia. http://www.utafoundation.org/P&L/preston&leng.htm

Sabra H A, Hassan S G and Mohamed M I 2010 Effect of Sesbania sesban supplementation on the reproductive performance of Baladi sheep as compared to Berseem (Egyptian clover). Journal of Reproduction and Infertility 1(3): 66-70

Van Soest  P J, Robertson  J B and Lewis B A 1991 Methods for dietary fibre, neutral detergent fibre and non-starch carbohydrates in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of  Dairy Science,  74: 3583-3597. http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/0022-0302/PIIS0022030291785512.pdf

Xuan V T and Sanh N V 1998 History and future development of Farming systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Development of Farming Systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Jircas, CTU and LRRI. pp. 21-22.

Received 15 May 2013; Accepted 19 May 2013; Published 2 June 2013

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