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Biomass and Nutritional Evaluation of German Grass (echinochloa Polystachya) Cultivated on Floating Bed

M M Islam
Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh

M M H Khan*
Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh

M J Uddin
Department of Animal Nutrition, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh

M J Islam
Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

German and Napier grasses were cultivated on floating agricultural bed at the valley of Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU) to find out a suitable fodder for floating bed fodder cultivation. Later, German grass was cultivated on five floating beds at Hemupara of Jaintapur, Sylhet and also produced at land of SAU campus. German grass samples from both floating beds and land, as well as local Bermuda grass from Hemupara were evaluated for assessment of biomass production, proximate and fiber composition. There was no significant difference in length and production of German grass cultivated on floating bed and land cultivation. German grass production cost on floating bed was 2.3 Tk/kg. German grass from floating bed contained more ether extract, Ash, Neutral detergent fiber and cellulose than that from land cultivation. DM, Ash, CP, EE, CF and NFE of German grass on floating beds at Hemupara were 199.7g/kg, 20.1g/kg, 57.2g/kg, 37.2g/kg, 411.8gm/kg and 273.9g/kg respectively. The fiber components of German grass on floating beds were NDF (696.4g/kg), ADF (452.2g/kg), ADL (100.1g/kg), cellulose (244.1g/kg) and hemicellulose (352.1g/kg). German grass can be considered as a suitable fodder for floating bed fodder cultivation when there is long term water logging as an alternative fodder production practice in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Floating bed, German grass, Biomass production, Nutritional evaluation

Location: Hemupara of Jaintapur, Sylhet

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity: Fodder

Objectives:

The present research work were performed to identify suitable fodder to cultivate on floating bed; biomass, nutritional and economic evaluation of floating bed fodder production to assess it as alternative and sustainable fodder production technique.

Methodology:

Selection of study area Hemupara of Jaintapur was selected as Hemu is one of the flood prone villages, where farmers are away from technology and animals are suffering from malnutrition during lean period (rainy and winter season). They need technical support to upgrade their livestock properties and to improve their socio-economic status. Selection and training to volunteer farmers A total of five contact farmers were selected, who have minimum five cattle, owing pond and interested to upgrade their animal management system to develop their cattle stock. A day long training program was organized for all five contact farmers. Preparation of floating bed A total of six floating beds were prepared for the present research work. One was at SAU campus and other five were at Hemupara. The floating beds were prepared according to Irfanullah et. al. (2011), with little modification. The size of each floating bed was about 200 square foot, but the shape of each floating bed was varied with the shape of the pond on which a bed was floated. A bamboo frame was prepared and covered with plastic net. Four pieces of mature banana plants were fixed below the bamboo frame for primary floating management of the bamboo frame. Water hyacinth was stocked on the floating bamboo frame with around one feed height to make the first layer of the floating bed. Then the top layer of floating bed was prepared with 3 inches soil and cow dung mixed. Selection of fodder and its plantation on floating bed An experiment was carried out on the floating bed of SAU campus to select suitable fodder for floating bed cultivation. Cuttings of Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) and German (Echinochola polystachya) grasses were prepared. Each cutting contained three complete internodes with four nodes. Napier was planted to one half of the floating bed and other half was planted German. Distance of one row to another was 0.5 m, similar space was kept from one planted cutting to another. Both types of cuttings produced leaf but the Napier grass could not survive after few days during heavy rain while the German continued to live and grow on the floating bed. Thus German grass was found as suitable for floating bed cultivation. German grasses were planted on all floating bed of Hemupara with similar plantation system of floating bed in SAU campus. Care and management of floating bed fodders There was regular check up of the bamboo frames that were supporting the structure of a floating bed. Banana plants when available were pushing under the floating beds to maintain the floating activity of the bed if required. The beds were always kept sufficient away from the pond-bank to secure the beds from free grazing cattle or goat. Sample collection and fodder production evaluation German grass samples were collected from floating bed Sylhet (FBS) Campus and floating bed Hemupara (FBH) as well as the fodder garden of Department of Animal Nutrition of Sylhet Agricultural University (Land of Sylhet Agricultural University, LS). The first harvest/cut was performed after 40-45 days of plantation. Subsequent two cuts were also performed by 40-45 days interval. All the German grasses were harvested by cutting two inches top of the base/root. Samples from all three cuts were collected for production and nutritional evaluation. Arial part of local Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) grown naturally on Hemupara (Land at Hemupara, LH) were also collected. German and Bermuda grasses produced on 2 sqft space were taken and weighed to evaluate production performance. At the same time, lengths of 5 identical fodders from each source were measured in cm. Then the collected fodders were shifted to Biochemistry laboratory of Sylhet Agricultural University for nutritional analysis. Economic evaluation of fodder production Cost of preparation of every floating bed was recorded. Total fodder production by three maturation (cut) was counted. Cost of production (tk/kg) of German grass was calculated for every floating bed. Then cost of production for every bed was averaged. Sample preparation for nutritional evaluation Five identical fodders of each cut were collected from each of floating bed and land cultivation, 3 of them were selected to separate leaf and stem and rest 2 were kept as whole plant for the analysis. Each of leaf, stem and whole plant sample were cut separately in pieces of less than 1cm size with knife. After taking samples for dry matter and ash test, rest of the samples were dried at 105°C for overnight, grinded with a blender machine and kept in air tight sample bottle with proper labeling. A total of 64 fodder samples (63 German grass and 1 Bermuda grass) were checked in duplicate according to Galyean (2010) and Khan (2012). Determination of Proximate and fiber composition The proximate analysis that includes dry matter (DM), Ash, crude fiber (CF), crude protein (CP), Ether extract (EE), and Nitrogen free extract (NFE) were performed according to AOAC (1990). Fiber composition that includes neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were analyzed by the method described by Van Soest et al. (1991), Goering and Van Soest (1970) and Van Soest (1963) with some modification by Khan and Chaudhry (2010). Cellulose and hemicellulose of the fodder were calculated according to Khan (2012). Statistical analysis Minitab 17 was used for statistical analysis. A completely randomized design (CRD) was followed among the different floating beds for total production and length. Nutritive values were compared with German and Bermuda grass by ANOVA in General Linear Model of Minitab 17 following CRD.

Source of Information: Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2017. 46 (4):249-257

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Funding Source:

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Achievement/Findings:

The research indicates that German grass could be cultivated on floating bed during long waterlogged condition and/or scarcity of land for fodder cultivation. It may ensure an alternative adaptive practice for climate change and sustainable livestock farming in Bangladesh. Further research could be conducted with German grass from floating bed to evaluate in vitro degradability and gas production and animal trial to evaluate in vivo degradability, effect on animal’s health, production and reproduction.

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