AZOLLA – A Sustainable feed for CATTLE & POULTRY

Azolla is a free floating water fern that floats in water and fixes nitrogen in association with the nitrogen fixing blue green algae, Anabaena azollae. Azolla is considered to be a potential biofertilizer in terms of nitrogen contribution to rice. Long before its cultivation as a green manure, Azolla has been used as a fodder for domesticated animals such as pigs and ducks. In recent days, Azolla is very much used as a sustainable feed substitute for livestock especially dairy cattle, poultry, piggery and fish.

Azolla contains 25 – 35 per cent protein on dry weight basis and rich in essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins and carotenoids including the antioxidant b carotene. The rare combination of high nutritive value and rapid biomass production make Azolla a potential and effective feed substitute for live stocks.

AZOLLA – A sustainable feed substitute for livestock

• The dairy became main occupation in rural area because of agriculture is receding.
• Since growing demand for meat and milk, the animal husbandry became profitable income source for rural poor
• Cultivation of Dwarft crops and decrease in forest and graze lands resulted sustainable decline in fodder production
• The dairy farmers are dependent on commercial feeds
• The commercial feeds are mixed with urea and artificial milk booster
• They Causes effect on quality of milk produced and longevity of the animal
• In turn leads to cancer and coronary ailments in human beings
• Usage of commercial feed is not economical and declines income
• Azolla is the most economic and efficient feed substitute for live stock
• Azolla is a floating fern in shallow water
• Azolla is very rich in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (A, B12, Beta carotene) and growth promoter intermediaries and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, ferrous, copper, magnesium etc.,)
• Azolla on dry weight basis is constituted of 25.35% protein content, 10.15% mineral content and 7 – 19% a combination of amino acids, bio active substances and bio polymers
• Carbohydrate and oil content are very low in Azolla
• Azolla can be easily digestible by the livestock, owing to its high protein and low lignin content
• Milk yield increases by 15 to 20%
• 15 to 20% commercial feed is replaced by azolla
• Azolla feeding does not affect the milk production, improves quality of milk and health and longevity of livestock
• Feeding Azolla to poultry birds improves the weight of the broiler chicken and increases the egg production of layers
• Azolla can be fed to sheep, goat, pig and rabbits as feed substitute.

AZOLLA PRODUCITON

• An artificial water body is made, preferably under the shade of a tree with the help of a silpauline sheet
• A pit of the size of 2 m x 2m x 0.2 m is dug as a first step
• The pit is covered with plastic gunnies to prevent the roots of the near by trees piercing the silpauline sheet
• Spread over the silpauline sheet over the plastic gunnies
• About 10 – 15 kgs. of sieved fertile soil is uniformly spread over the silpauline sheet
• Slurry made of 2 kg. cow dung and 30 gms. of super phosphate in 10 liters of water is poured into the sheet
• More water is poured to make water level reach about 10 cm.
• About 500 gms. - 1 kg. of fresh and pure culture of Azolla is inoculated in the pit
• Azolla will rapidly grow and fill the pit within 10 – 15 days
• About 500 – 600 gms. of Azolla can be harvested daily thereafter
• A mixture of 20 gms. of super phosphate and about 1 kg. of cow dung should be added once in 5 days to keep the Azolla in rapid multiplication
• Micro nutrient mix containing trace element is added weekly intervals to enhance mineral content of Azolla
• In this method the cost of production of Azolla is less than 65 ps/pit

PRECAUTIONS

• A shady place, preferably under a tree with sufficient sunlight should be chosen for the Azolla production unit. A place of direct sunlight should be avoided
• All corners of the pit should be of the same level so that the water level so that the water level can be maintained uniformly
• Azolla bio mass @ 399 gm. – 350 gm. / sq. mt should be removed daily to avoid over crowding and for keeping the fern at rapid multiplication
• Suitable nutrients should be supplied as and when, nutrient deficiency is noticed
• Plant protection measures against pests and disease should be taken as and when required
• About 5 kg. bed soil should be replaced with fresh soil, once in 30 days to avoid nitrogen build up and prevent micro nutrient deficiency
• 25 to 30% water also needs to be replaced with fresh water once in 10 days to prevent nitrogen build up in the bed
• Replacement of water and soil should be followed by fresh inoculation of Azolla at least once in six months
• A fresh bed has to be prepared and inoculated with pure culture of Azolla when contaminated by pest and diseases

USING AZOLLA AS LIVESTOCK FEED

• Azolla should be harvesting with plastic tray having holes of 1 sq. cm. mesh size to drain the water
• Wash to get rid of the cow dung smell
• Azolla should be mixed with commercial feed in 1 : 1 ration to feed the livestock
• Livestock can be fed directly with Azolla
• Dried Azolla can be powder and added to the regular feed

Compiled Shared by - DR. RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, JAMSHEDPUR

      

How Does A Cow Turn Grass Into Milk

Cows have the most unusual system for turning grass into milk.  

They have not one, but four stomachs – each of which performs a special function.

1. The Rumen

When cows graze on grass they swallow it half chewed and mix it with water in their first stomach called the Rumen.  It is here that the digestion process starts.

2. The Reticulum

In the Reticulum the grass is formed into small wads called ‘cuds’.  Each cud is then returned to the mouth where the cow chews it 40 to 60 times for about 1 minute.

3. The Omasum

The chewed cud is swallowed into a third stomach, the Omasum, where it is pressed to reduce water and broken down further.

4. The Abomasum

The grass then passes to the fourth stomach, called the Abomasum where it is digested.  Finally it passes through the intestines where the cow takes out everything she needs to keep her healthy and strong and make good milk.

NOTE:  Because a cow makes milk night and day, she needs to be milked regularly.

Ethnoveterinary formulation for udder oedema

Ethnoveterinary formulation for udder oedema (புதிதாக கன்று ஈன்ற மாட்டின் ஏற்படும் மடி வீக்கம் குணமாகும் மருந்து)

Caution:
Rule out mastitis before using the formulation.

Credits:
Dr. N. Punniamurthy

 

The hidden dangers of silage made with diseased corn

The wet field conditions we saw last year across much of the U.S. have contributed to an increase in fungal diseases – in particular, a rise in the incidence of smut.

Corn smut is caused by the growth of Ustilago maydis, which thrives in conditions of high humidity coupled with plant stressors like poor pollination or damage from insects, weather or equipment.

Once the plant is infected, the fungus grows rapidly, leading to large gray galls that contain black spores, typically on the corn ear tip (Figure 1).

The resulting galls decrease grain yield anywhere from 9 to 40 percent. While producers may see a drop in corn yields due to smut contamination, the crop is still nutritionally valuable and can be successfully ensiled. The fungus that causes smut does not produce any known toxins, and studies in sheep have shown that it does not affect feed intake.

In fact, corn infected with smut has a higher content of protein, particularly a higher amount of the amino acid lysine, compared to regular corn.

Nevertheless, feeding silage made with smut-infected corn can decrease feed efficiency, since the fungus uses some of the more readily digestible nutrients to fuel its growth.

Research has shown that total digestible nutrients, net energy for maintenance and net energy for gain decreases the value of corn silage by around 0.5 percent, 0.02 Mcal per gram and 0.02 Mcal per gram, respectively, for each 10 percent rise in smut-infected plants compared to healthy ones.

The nutrient and fermentation profiles of these contaminated silages are likely to be more variable than normal. It’s important to have samples analyzed regularly – at least once a month – so adjustments to the ration can be made as necessary.

When corn contaminated with smut is ensiled, the rate and extent of fermentation can be restricted due to the loss of nutrients because of growth of the smut fungus, which can then predispose the silage to further mold growth and the production of mycotoxins. Treating the corn with a dual-purpose inoculant at the time of ensiling is an important part of the management program.

Dual-purpose inoculants contain strains of both homolactic and heterolactic bacteria to overcome the limitations of using a product that has only one type of bacteria.

During early stages of the ensiling process, homolactic bacteria (e.g., Pediococcus pentosaceus) used in “traditional” silage inoculants convert simple sugars to lactic acid, a strong fermentation acid that leads to a faster rate of acidification, thus maximizing the recovery of dry matter and nutrients, and inhibiting the growth of detrimental microbes.

Homolactic bacteria are very efficient, but natural populations are not as prevalent on the plant material, giving a very strong recommendation for use in an inoculant. However, lactic acid does not have strong antimycotic properties or lead to improvement in aerobic stability (e.g., preventing silage heating during feedout) and are inconsistent when using homolactic bacteria alone.

The heterolactic bacterium Lactobacillus buchneri produces moderate amounts of antimycotic acetic acid. The acetic acid is produced by converting small amounts of lactic acid during the initial active phase of fermentation to acetic.

There is a considerable amount of published research supporting the use of the high application rate of L. buchneri 40788 (400,000 colony-forming units per gram of forage), which reduces or prevents heating and spoilage in a wide range of silages by reducing the population of spoilage yeasts.

Corn smut generally is not an animal health threat but can easily be confused with other corn ear rot fungi that can produce dangerous mycotoxins. Species of aspergillus, fusarium, gibberella and penicillium are most commonly associated with production of mycotoxins that can negatively impact animal health and performance.

There is evidence that smut-infected ears are more susceptible to a secondary infection by fusarium and aspergillus. The smut fungus may not directly produce mycotoxins but can potentially create a window of opportunity for organisms associated with mycotoxin production to cause a secondary infection.

Spoilage yeasts are directly responsible for the majority of heating events in silages. Controlling their growth also has a significant impact on the development of secondary or opportunistic spoilage micro-organisms, especially in silages made from diseased crops.

Yeasts destabilize the silage and raise the pH, allowing molds and bacteria to grow, resulting in spoiled, potentially hazardous feed. A high load of detrimental micro-organisms that come from the field at the time of ensiling means more challenges during feedout.

Last season, there were also higher reports of rust infestation, both southern and common rust, stimulated by the long, wet growing season. Similar to smut corn, the rust fungi utilize nutrients from the plant, reducing its nutritive value and yield, and predisposing it to spoilage, mold growth and mycotoxin infestation.

Researchers at the University of Florida looked at the efficacy of treating rust-infested corn with a dual-purpose commercial inoculant with P. pentosaceus 12455 and L. buchneri 40788.

The study involved a corn crop that was naturally infested in discrete patches in the field at the time of the harvest (Figure 2).

After 97 days of storage, dual-purpose inoculation reduced mold counts in rust silages 80-fold and increased aerobic stability by about 75 percent.

Most importantly, aflatoxin was detected in untreated, rust-infested silage at the level of 5,000 parts per billion – considerably higher than the FDA action level at 20 parts per billion – while there were no aflatoxins detected in the inoculated silage made from the same material.

Well-preserved, stable silages have low pH, driven by lactic acid production by homolactic bacteria plus a good amount of an antimycotic compound, e.g., acetic acid produced by L. buchneri, to prevent the growth of undesirable micro-organisms.

Consumption of low concentrations of aflatoxins by sensitive animals can lead to death in 72 hours; animals that ingest feed contaminated with non-fatal levels of aflatoxins can suffer impaired health, reproductive dysfunction and productivity loss.

In addition to causing palatability issues, reduced animal performance and respiratory problems, molds can produce specific mycotoxins under certain circumstances. Some mycotoxins mimic sex hormones and therefore can disrupt normal reproductive physiology in the cow, leading to problems with conception and abortion, while others can cause serious health issues in addition to negatively impacting performance.

It is therefore very important to implement management practices that will reduce the risk of mycotoxins in your silages.

Corn silage is an important component of the diet fed to ruminants, and feeding poorly fermented or contaminated silages needs to be carefully managed. Take samples properly to obtain accurate test results and find the specific cause of the problem. Use good silage management practices to prevent silage deterioration and to ensure you produce top-quality, hygienic preserved feeds for your herd.  

Bob Charley has a doctorate in applied microbiology from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Renato Schmidt has a doctorate in animal nutrition from the University of Delaware and is employed by Lallemand Animal Nutrition as a forage products specialist.

Thanks : Progressivedairy.