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Sewage-grown algae as a source of supplementary nitrogen for ruminants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. Hasdai  and
D. Ben Ghedalia
A. Hasdai
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, Israel
D. Ben Ghedalia
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, Israel
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Summary

A sheep-feeding experiment was carried out to assess the nutritional value of algae meal as a protein supplement in ruminant diets. The algae, mainly Chlorella, were grown in sewage ponds, harvested by flocculation with alumina (Al2(SO4)3.18H2O), and then drum-dried. Eight young rams, divided into two equal groups, were offered a basal concentrated diet, to which algae meal or soya-bean meal (SBM) was added to contribute 50% of the dietary nitrogen (N).

The digestibility values of dry matter (D.M.) were 69·3 and 79·3%, and those of organic matter (OM) were 75·3 and 82·2% for the algae diet and the SBM diet, respectively.

Nitrogen digestibility of the algae diet was 16% lower than that of the SBM diet and the calculated value of N digestibility in algae meal was 61·7%. However, there was no difference between treatments in the daily amount of retained-N or in the proportion of digested N which was retained in the body.

The algae meal contained 5·7% aluminium. This was probably the reason for the much lower P absorption in the algae diet (6·67%) as compared with the SBM diet (29·5%).

Ammonia-N concentration was lower and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration was higher in the rumen of the algae diet-fed sheep. However, the VFA profile was similar for both diets.

Sewage-grown algae could perhaps be used as a protein supplement for ruminants, provided that the harvesting technology is directed to produce a low-mineral, low-aluminium, young biomass, which would be highly digestible and would not interfere with P absorption.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 97 , Issue 3 , December 1981 , pp. 533 - 537
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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