Livestock are an increasingly important source of cash income for smallholder farmers in Lao PDR. However, inadequate access to quality feed can be a constraint to production and potential incomes from livestock, particularly during the drier months of the year. This research project undertook an evaluation of the potential of the use of cassava pulp as a feed supplement for goat production. Cassava pulp is a residue from cassava starch production, there being more than one million tons of cassava pulp residue produced annually in Laos.
Cassava pulp is regarded as having potential as an energy source for all animals, but is currently little used by farmers in rural areas, largely due to farmers being unaware of its potential and due their adoption of more traditional animal production practices. This study evaluated cassava pulp as an energy source for goats, in combination with local foliage supplements in the form of cassava, erythrina (Erythrina subumbrans), muntingia (Muntingia calabura) and elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum). The objectives of the study were: 1) to determine the most suitable diet for goats; and 2) to estimate the potential of local foliage sources (cassava, erythrina, muntingia and elephant grass) in combination with fermented cassava pulp as an energy source.
The experiment was carried out in Salao village, Phonthong district, Champassack Province, between February and August 2016. There were four treatment groups with 3 replications in each group. The treatment groups were: Group 1 (CF) - fermented cassava pulp + Cassava foliage; Group 2 (EP) - fermented cassava pulp + Elepahnt grass; Group 3 (EN) - fermented cassava pulp + Erythrina subumbrans foliage; and Group 4 (MG) - fermented cassava pulp + Muntingia calabura foliage.
The cassava pulp was collected from a cassava starch produce factory in Pathoumphone district, about 24 km from Pakse city. The cassava was fermented for a period of 14 days using a mixture of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), molasses and urea. The Muntingia foliage was collected from wetland areas, while the Elephant grass, Erythrina and cassava foliage were collected from each participant’s farm. Twelve local goats (male) with a mean live weigh of 10.2±2.3 kg were kept in individual pens. They were fed fermented cassava pulp (main feed) ad libitum, while the foliage feed supplements (cassava, erythrina, muntingia and elephant grass) were offered at 1% of live weight on DM basis. All animals were treated for internal and external parasites and vaccinated against foot and mouth disease (FMD). The goats were weighed at the start of the experiment and then every 2 weeks for the duration of the experiment (a total of 12 weeks). Feed samples were collected on a weekly basis for chemical analysis.
The results of analysis of chemical composition of the feed showed that cassava foliage had a higher crude protein content (23.3%) than the other forage sources. Cassava pulp was enriched by the fermentation procedure, with crude protein (CP) increasing from 1.4% to 14.6%. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in DM intake (g/day), live-weight gain (g/day) and DM feed conversion between the treatments. The results demonstrated that Group 1 (CF) (fermented cassava pulp supplemented cassava foliage) gave a better result than the other feed groups in terms of DM intake (358.9 g/day), live-weight gain (37.8 g/day) and feed conversion ratio (9.6).
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