Elephant grass treated with alkali

Abstract

The objective was determine dry matter (DM), crude protein (CD), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent (ADF), cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, ash and digestibility of elephant grass, in advanced maturation stage, submitted to the application of alkali compounds with calcium oxide (CaO), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and CaO+NaOH, in two periods of treatment. The experiment was conducted according to a project of subdivided parcels that had been constituted by the controlled treatments, 3% of CaO, 3% of NaOH and 1.5% of CaO + 1.5% of NaOH, and subparcels for the two periods of treatment (24 and 48 hours). The treatment did not have any effect and nor neither for period of DM (35,8%) nor of CD (2,7%). The contents of NDF, ADF and cellulose were lesser in the treatments with the addition of CaO, NaOH and CaO+NaOH, mainly to the treatment period of 48 hours. The lignin content was not affected by the applied treatments 10.2%. The application of 3% of CaO, 3% of NaOH and 1.5% of NaOH + 1.5% of CaO increases the digestibility of elephant grass, and the most significant effect occurs when using NaOH.