Níveis de concentrado em dietas com cana-de-açúcar para bubalinos (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

Sugarcane stands out for having a physiological behavior different from other forages. Sugarcane does not lose biomass during periods of water shortage and is therefore an alternative in ruminant feeding. It is necessary to use concentrate to improve productivity and meet the nutritional requirements of animals fed with sugarcane. The objective of this study was to evaluate diets with in natura sugarcane, variety RB92579, associated to different levels of concentrate in the consumption, nutrient digestibility, ingestive behavior, ruminal parameters, nitrogen balance and ruminal microbial synthesis. Four ruminal-cannulated Murrah buffaloes (300 ± 50 kg) distributed in Latin Square Design (4X4) were used. The experimental consisted of four experimental periods, each lasting seventeen days. Thirteen days of adaptation of the animals to the diets and the other four days for the collection of data and samples. The increase in concentration levels in the diet resulted in effect linear increase for nutrient consumption, nitrogen balance, feed efficiency and ruminal microbial protein synthesis. The apparent digestibility of the nutrients and the concentration of ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen presented a quadratic behavior with increase of concentration levels in the diets. Increasing levels of concentrate associated with sugarcane in diets for rumen-cannulated buffaloes allow the maintenance of ruminal parameters within normality and provide an increase in dry matter and nutrient consumption, feed efficiency and use of nitrogen compounds, and in ruminal microbial protein synthesis.