Article Abstract

Volume 24, No. (6), 2014 (December)
LEAF LITTER AS A FOOD RESOURCE FOR RANGE LIVESTOCK
P. Rodriguez-Santillan1, H. Bernal-Barragan2, Ma. Cerrillo-Soto3, H. Gonzalez-Rodriguez4, A.S. Juarez-Reyes3, Guerrero-Cervantes3 and R.G. Ramirez-Lozano1,*

P. Rodriguez-Santillan1, H. Bernal-Barragan2, Ma. Cerrillo-Soto3, H. Gonzalez-Rodriguez4, A.S. Juarez-Reyes3, Guerrero-Cervantes3 and R.G. Ramirez-Lozano1,*

1Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Alimentos. Pedro de Alba y Manuel Barragan S/N, Cd. Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza, N.L. 66451, Mexico; 2Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Facultad de Agronomia, Av. Francisco Villa S/N. Col. Ex-Hacienda el Canadá, Escobedo, N.L., 66450, Mexico
3Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Km 11.5 Carretera Durango-Mezquital, Durango, 34280, Mexico; 4Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon. Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, A.P. 41,
Linares, Nuevo Leon, 67700, Mexico

DOI: NA
Page Number(s): 1629-1635
Published Online First: December 01, 2014
Publication Date: December 01, 2014
ABSTRACT

Leaf litter samples from two undisturbed sites in the Tamaulipan Thornscrub vegetation at northeastern Mexico were evaluated monthly, during 2007, for chemical composition, true in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), in vitro gas production (IVGP, 24 h), metabolizable energy (ME) and microbial protein (MP), in absence or presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Neutral detergent fiber (organic matter; mean = 40.8%), acid detergent fiber (ADFom; 28.8%), lignin (20.2%), crude protein (CP; 11.5%), condensed tannins (CT; 0.6%), ether extract (EE; 2.9%) contents, and IVOMD (63.0%) values and the interactions site*month were different between sites and among months. Gas production without (53.2 ml/200mg) and with PEG (59.1), ME (9.9 and 10.9 MJ/kg, respectively) and MP values (11.5 and 13.8, µmol, respectively) were not different between sites, but were different among months. When leaf litter deposition was high (dry months; January-June) in both sites, NDF, lignin and CP were also higher than in other months. The in vitro gas production, ME and MP were higher with the addition of PEG compared with the samples without PEG. Moreover, MP content was higher during the wet months (July-September). Based on chemical composition and fermentation values, litter fall leaves have a high potential to be used as feed resource for range small ruminants.

Keywords: Chemical Composition; In Vitro Gas Production Parameters; Litter Fallen Leaves; Polyethylene Glycol; Tamaulipan Thornscrub Vegetation
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JCR Year: 2025

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Print ISSN: 1018-7081

Electronic ISSN: 2309-8694

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