Effect of Urea-Molasses on the Nutritive

Value of Roughage Based Ration Incubated

in Buffaloe Rumen Liquor

M.R. Mashayekhi¹, H. Fazaeli², M. Zahedifar²

1 Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Khoozestan, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Animal Science Research Institute, P.O. Box 1483, 31585. Karaj, I.R.Iran

Corresponding author: H. Fazaeli, Animal Science Research Institute, P.O. Box 1483, 31585. Karaj, I.R.Iran
- E-mail: hfazaeli@gmail.com

abStract: In a compeletely randomized design, with factorial arrangment (3x3, n=5),

the effect of 5, 10, 15 percent molasses with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 percent urea were assessed on in
vitro digestibility and fermentibility of roughage based diets incubated with buffalo rumen
liqure. The in vitro digestibility and ruminal fermentability were measured based on the gas
test method, where the samples incubated in buffaloes rumen liqure. Irrespective of urea, the
digestibility was not affected by the levels of molasses. Dry matter and organic matter digesti-
bilities were 66.1 and 65.2; 65.5 and 64.1; 65.7 and 64 percent for the diets contained 5, 10 and
15 percent molasses respectively that were not staitistically different. For the simple effect of
urea, the dry matter and organic matter digestibilities were 65.5 and 64.2; 65.4 and 64.0; 66.6
and 65.2 percent for treatmets 1, 2 and 3 respectively that were not significantly different. No
interaction effects were found between urea and molasses on the digestibility of the diets. The
gas production was significant (p<0.05) different between the treatments, after 12 and 24h of
incubation, but no statistically variation was found for the other times of incubation.

Key words: Molasses, Urea, Roughage, Buffalo.

Introduction - It has been reported that buffaloes digest roughages and poor quali-
ty feeds more efficiently than do cattle (Pannu et al., 20021; Thu, and Udén, 2001). Udeybir
et al. (2000) reported that buffalo calves utilized dry matter, energy and protein more effi-
ciently for growth than cattle calves. Punia and Sharma, (1990) reported that feed degrada-
bility in the rumen was higher in buffaloes than that in cattle. Singh et al. (2003) reported
that digestibility and nitrogen balance were significantly (P< 0.05) higher in buffalo calves
when compared with cross-bred cattle calves. Efficiency of roughage based diets in buffalo
could be improved through rumen manipulation and feed supplementation. Verma et al.,
(2000) studied the potential of urea molasses liquid supplement to improve the digestibility
of wheat straw on growing buffalo calves. Nguyen and Preston, (1999) reported that supple-
mentation of rice straw basal diet, with urea-molasses cake, improved feed intake of swamp
buffaloes but there is appeared to be no improvement in dry matter degradability. In gene-
ral, buffalo seems to have a potential to digest roughages more efficient meanwhile, limited
work has been reported on the rumen fermentability potential of this animal. The objective
of this study was to asses the effect of differenet levels of molasses and urea on the digesti-
bility and fermentability of roughage based diet incubated with buffalo rumen liqure.

454 Ital.J.Anim.Sci. vol. 6, (Suppl. 2), 454-457, 2007

 VIII World Buffalo Congress

MATERIAL AND METHODS - In a completely randomized design nine treatments,

with factorial arrangment (3 x 3, n=5), three levels of molasses with three levels of urea
were used to test their effects on the in vitro digestibility and fermentability of roughage ba-
sed diets incubated with buffalo rumen liqure. Diet contained 61% roughage and 41% con-
centrate, dry matter basis (Table 1). Concentrate ingredients were prepared and combined,
then mixed with roughage and offered to the four mature male fistulated buffaloes as total
mixed ration three times per day. After two weeks of adaptation, rumen fluid was obtained
from fistulated buffaloes for in vitro measurements. The dry matter and organic matter
digestibility were measured according to the in vitro method of Tilley and Terry, (1963). The
ruminal fermentability was determined, using of gas test procedure (Menke and Steingass,
1979; Cone and Van-Gelder, 1999). Data were analysed by procedure of SAS (2002) and the
differences of means were performed using Duncan multiple range test.

Table 1. Experimental diets formulation and composition.

Ingredients Treatments
(% DM basis)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Wheat straw 26 26 26 24.5 24.5 24.5 23 23 23

Sugar cane bagass 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
Common reed hay 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
Alfalfa hay 9 9 9 10.5 10.5 10.5 12 12 12
Barley grain 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
Cotton seed meal 4.0 4 4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0
Sugar beet pulp 15 15 15 10 10 10 5 5 5
Sugar cane molasses 5 5 5 10 10 10 15 15 15
Urea 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.5 1.5
1Supplements 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
Composition
2ME (Mcal/kg) 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.17 2.17 2.17
Crude protein % 10.3 10.3 10.3 11.2 11.2 11.2 12.3 12.3 12.3
Ca % 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.79 0.79 0.79
P % 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46 0.46
1= Supplements contained sodium phosphate and sodium sulphate in an amount to adjust the Phosphorous,
Sodium and Sulphur concentration in the diets, 2 = Metabolizable energy.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS - Data were statisticaly analysed for simple effect of
each factore of molasses or urea and interaction effect as well. There were no significantly
interaction effects or simple effects of either factors between the treatments for digestibility
of DM or OM (Table 2). Irrespective of the interaction between molasses with urea levels,
there were significant (P<0.05) differences between urea levels as well as the molasses
levels for the amount of gas production after 12 or 24h of incubation (Table 2). Addition
of molasses from 5 to 10 percent, did not affect the gas yield, but when it was increased
to 15 percent, a significantly (P<0.05) reduction of gas production was observed. The urea

Ital.J.Anim.Sci. vol. 6, (Suppl. 2), 454-457, 2007 455

VIII World Buffalo Congress

treatmet significantly (P<0.05) affected the amount of gas production at the time of 12 or
24h of incubation. The highest amount of gas yield was found when the diet supplemented
with 0.5 percent urea whereas the lowest amount was related to diets contained 1.5 percent
urea. There were also significantly (P<0.05) interaction effect of molasses with urea on the
fermentability of the diets at 12 or 24h of incubation, but no statistcally variation was found
among the treaments for the gas yield at the other times of incubation (Table 3).

Table 2. Effect of treatments on the digestibility and gas production.

Digestibility (%) Gas yield (ml/200mgDM)

Treatments IVDMD1 IVOMD2 After 12 h After 24 h

M1 66.10 65.25 31.22 a 54.87 a
M2 65.46 64.11 30.81 a 53.77 a
M3 65.65 63.96 29.95 b 51.99 b
SEM 0.67 0.89 0.63 0.57
Significance ns ns ns *
U1 65.50 64.17 30.96 a 53.49 a
U2 65.36 63.95 30.03 ab 52.44 ab
U3 66.65 65.22 29.10 b 51.12 b
SEM 0.68 0.78 0.43 0.68
Significance ns ns * *
1In vitro dry mater digestibility. 2 In vitro organic mater digestibility, M = molasses, U = Urea,
SEM= standard error of means, ns = not significant (p > 0.05), * = significant (P<0.05).

Table 3. Effect of treatments on the cumulative gas yield at different times (h) of
incubation (ml/200mgDM).

Times (h)

Treatments 2 4 6 8 12 24 48 72 96
M1U1 4.25 7.68 11.66 15.86 22.96 a 35.11a 48.34 51.72 52.90
M1U2 4.26 8.10 11.93 15.94 22.96 a 35.27 a 48.96 52.85 54.14
M1U3 3.77 7.41 12.36 15.17 22.35 a 34.79 ab 48.18 51.85 53.72
M2U1 4.76 8.51 12.37 16.18 22.98 a 34.98 ab 48.10 51.73 53.15
M2U2 4.51 8.18 11.39 15.92 22.71 a 34.80 ab 48.23 51.88 53.41
M2U3 3.95 7.57 12.26 15.24 21.68 b 33.30 b 46.78 50.61 52.19
M3U1 5.00 8.62 12.26 15.82 22.17 ab 33.57 b 46.41 49.95 51.28
M3U2 4.87 8.47 11.30 16.11 22.27 ab 33.82 b 46.22 49.65 51.33
M3U3 4.13 7.58 12.60 14.93 21.04 b 32.27 b 44.80 48.65 50.19
SEM 0.42 0.61 0.81 0.78 0.64 0.53 1.86 1.98 2.12
Significance ns ns ns ns * * ns ns ns
M = molasses. U = Urea. SEM= standard error of means, ns = not significant (p > 0.05), * = significant
(P<0.05).

456 Ital.J.Anim.Sci. vol. 6, (Suppl. 2), 454-457, 2007

 VIII World Buffalo Congress

In conclusion, no difference was found on the in vitro digestibility of the roughage based
diet, when molasses supplementation was increased from 5 to 10 or 15%. Similar results
was found for the case of urea supplementation, when it was used at 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5%, but
the in vitro gas production reduced by increasing the levels of molasses or urea at 12 or
24h of incubation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - This research was supported by Animal Science Research In-

stitute of Iran. The authors are indebted to the Agricultural Research Center of Khoozestan.
The assistance of Animal Husbandry Research Station of Dezfool is kindly acknowledged

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