Page 124 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

S3-5

Nutritional evaluation of Himalayan Elm (Ulmus wallichiana) leaf meal incorporated in
total mixed ration for sheep

Yasir Afzal Beigh*, Abdul Majeed Ganai, Mohammad Idrees Wani, Zulfaqarul Haq
Division of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Shuhama, Alusteng,
Srinagar -190 006, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, J&K
(* Presenting author: vetyasir1@gmail.com)
Introduction

The seasonal shortage of conventional feeds and fodders in J&K forces feeding of available feed resources
low in nutrient density to livestock. Besides, the availability and cost of concentrates limits their incorporation
in animal diets. Tree foliages contribute significantly in mitigating some of the feed shortages and deficiencies
experienced, and thus have been successfully incorporated in the diets of small ruminants. In this endeavour,
the present study was taken up to evaluate the effect of feeding Himalayan Elm (Ulmus wallichiana) leaf meal
(ELM) based total mixed ration (TMR) on feed intake, nutrient utilisation, N and mineral balances, growth
performance, rumen functioning, physiological health and production economics of sheep.

Material and Methods
The study was conducted by in vitro and in vivo assays. In the in vitro assay, the effect of graded increasing
levels of ELM inclusion as substitute to concentrate feed in the basal TMR on nutrient degradability was
evaluated. In the in vivo study, a feeding trail was conducted for 21 days followed by a metabolism trial of 9
days on sheep (16) distributed equally into two groups, offered basal TMR as control and TMR containing
ELM replacing concentrate mixture at 30% level as treatment group. Record of daily feed offered and residue
left by each animal was maintained. Animals were weighed at the beginning and at weekly intervals. Rumen
fermentation characteristics were recorded at start and end of the experiment. Also various blood parameters
were recorded before the start and at the end of feeding trial. The samples were analyzed following standard
procedures. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis.
Results and discussion

The in vitro results revealed the effective level for optimal (P<0.05) nutrient degradability at 30%
ELM inclusion. Without affecting DM and OM intakes, ELM included diet enhanced (P<0.05) CP and NDF
digestibility. Animals of both the groups were in positive balances of N, Ca and P, though live weight gain (g/d)
was comparable. Haemato-biochemical metabolites were within the normal ranges with improved (P<0.01)
levels of haemoglobin and haematocrit while reduced values for serum urea N (P<0.05) and aspartate amino-
transferase (P<0.01) in treatment group. Likewise, rumen fermentation metabolites were in normal ranges
and comparable between the groups. Cost of production lowered (P<0.01) with 35.84% reduction in feed cost
per kg live weight gain in ELMG group compared to control. The results of the present study are supported
by Pal et al. (2010) who also reported similar findings in goats fed diets with replaced concentrate mixture by
iso-nitrogenous leaf meal mixture.

Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development 105