112
Specifically, this focuses on pretreatment (optimization process), enrichment, and
recycling of rice straw by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Also covered
are practical feeding protocols when rice straw—or its combination with other feed
ingredients—is used in formulating a ration. The authors also share secondary
information on the effect of rice straw as animal fodder on the improvement in animal performance and production efficiencies; as well as its impact on food production (meat and milk), increasing farmers’ income, and on the protection of the
environment.
Keywords Rice straw · Fodder · Ruminant · Buffaloes
7.1 Introduction
Livestock farming plays a significant role in agricultural development. Aside from
being a source of income for the farmers, livestock also contributes to the production of food for the general public. Ruminant animals, such as buffaloes, cattle,
sheep, and goats, are considered economically important in the production of meat
and milk, among other derived products such as hides, manure as an organic fertilizer or as fuel/biogas for kitchen use by the livestock-farming families. Ruminants
can be entirely dependent on crops for their nourishment to achieve normal growth,
production, and reproduction. The dynamics of their rumen ecosystem provides a
unique environment for microorganisms to grow and multiply so that these can
degrade nutrients, especially fibrous components, from the ingested fodders that
eventually are transformed into protein rich foodstuffs such as meat and milk.
However, the efficiency of the animal to utilize and convert nutrients from dietary
sources into nutritious food products are dependent mainly on the availability and
quality of the fodder being offered to the animal.
The availability of quality forages for feeding ruminants is seasonal. Wet season
is a time of feed abundance while dry season is a period of scarcity. In countries that
experience feed scarcity or deficiency of good quality forages, rice straw remains as
the practical, abundant and cheap source of fodder for feeding cattle, buffalo, goat
and sheep. According to FAO (2000), the world produced approximately 2000 million tons of cereal straw annually. More than 200 million tons of rice straw was also
produced annually in the Southeast Asian countries (see Chap. 1). The estimated
quantity of rice straw production is based on the report of Maiorella (1985); and
Doyle et al. (1986) that for every hectare of rice farm, the weights of rice grain and
rice straw that can be harvested are the same. In many agricultural countries, rice
straw and other agro-industrial by-products are available in large quantities immediately every after harvest seasons. These farm byproducts are utilized in many
different ways such as fodder for ruminants, for mushroom production, for fuel
(heating, biogas) source, for board or paper production and also for organic fertilizer production.
D. Aquino et al.
Specifically, this focuses on pretreatment (optimization process), enrichment, and
recycling of rice straw by physical, chemical, and biological processes. Also covered
are practical feeding protocols when rice straw—or its combination with other feed
ingredients—is used in formulating a ration. The authors also share secondary
information on the effect of rice straw as animal fodder on the improvement in animal performance and production efficiencies; as well as its impact on food production (meat and milk), increasing farmers’ income, and on the protection of the
environment.
Keywords Rice straw · Fodder · Ruminant · Buffaloes
7.1 Introduction
Livestock farming plays a significant role in agricultural development. Aside from
being a source of income for the farmers, livestock also contributes to the production of food for the general public. Ruminant animals, such as buffaloes, cattle,
sheep, and goats, are considered economically important in the production of meat
and milk, among other derived products such as hides, manure as an organic fertilizer or as fuel/biogas for kitchen use by the livestock-farming families. Ruminants
can be entirely dependent on crops for their nourishment to achieve normal growth,
production, and reproduction. The dynamics of their rumen ecosystem provides a
unique environment for microorganisms to grow and multiply so that these can
degrade nutrients, especially fibrous components, from the ingested fodders that
eventually are transformed into protein rich foodstuffs such as meat and milk.
However, the efficiency of the animal to utilize and convert nutrients from dietary
sources into nutritious food products are dependent mainly on the availability and
quality of the fodder being offered to the animal.
The availability of quality forages for feeding ruminants is seasonal. Wet season
is a time of feed abundance while dry season is a period of scarcity. In countries that
experience feed scarcity or deficiency of good quality forages, rice straw remains as
the practical, abundant and cheap source of fodder for feeding cattle, buffalo, goat
and sheep. According to FAO (2000), the world produced approximately 2000 million tons of cereal straw annually. More than 200 million tons of rice straw was also
produced annually in the Southeast Asian countries (see Chap. 1). The estimated
quantity of rice straw production is based on the report of Maiorella (1985); and
Doyle et al. (1986) that for every hectare of rice farm, the weights of rice grain and
rice straw that can be harvested are the same. In many agricultural countries, rice
straw and other agro-industrial by-products are available in large quantities immediately every after harvest seasons. These farm byproducts are utilized in many
different ways such as fodder for ruminants, for mushroom production, for fuel
(heating, biogas) source, for board or paper production and also for organic fertilizer production.
D. Aquino et al.