In vitro ruminal degradation of Tithonia diversifolia

Abstract

Introduction. The Mocache canton (Ecuador) is a humid tropical zone, with a dry season of six months, which affects the availability and quality of forage, a situation that reduces the productive and reproductive capacity of ruminants. Objective. To evaluate the apparent in vitro ruminal degradation parameters of dry matter (DMD), organic matter (OMD), neutral detergent fiber (NDFD), and acid detergent fiber (ADFD) in Tithonia diversifolia harvested at four different cutting ages during the dry season. Materials and methods. The research was carried out at the “La María” Experimental Farm of the Universidad Tecnica Estatal de Quevedo, Ecuador, between August and October 2017. Four rumen fistulated bulls were used. A complete randomized design (CRD) was used. The treatments were: Tithonia diversifolia at 30 days of cutting (T1), Tithonia diversifolia at 45 days of cutting (T2), Tithonia diversifolia at 60 days of cutting (T3), and Tithonia diversifolia at 75 days of cutting (T4). The incubation times were: 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours with four replicates per treatment. The variables evaluated were: DMD, OMD, NFDD, and AFDD. Results. The ruminal degradation parameters showed statistical differences between treatments (p<0.05), with T1 the best DMD, OMD, NDFD, and ADFD were obtained with 36.66, 35.44, 43.16, and 41.55 %, respectively). Conclusion. The highest DMD, OMD, NDFD, and ADFD parameters were associated with the cutting ages and the structural components of the bromatological composition. The cutting age at 30 days in Tithonia diversifolia influenced the potential and the effective nutrients degradation. As the cutting ages increased, the ruminal degradation parameters decreased.