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Lookup NU author(s): Faisal Shahzad, Dr Abdul ChaudhryORCiD
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Raising buffalo male calves for fattening purpose in Pakistan is a challenge due to shortage of quality forages and high cost of compound feeds. Although abundant quantity of forages such as cereal straws is available, their utilization to fatten buffalo calves is limited due to their low digestibility and intake. The feeding value of cereal straws including wheat straw can be improved through various physical, chemical and biotechnological methods. Amongst these, biotechnological methods are drawing more attention being simple and environment friendly. These methods can use most appropriate microbes that are able to grow on moist substrates under aerobic conditions by Solid State Fermentation (SSF). The SSF is an advantageous method to degrade lignin in order to improve digestibility of highly lignified straws. The most important step to produce the quality fungal biomass by SSF is to optimize and standardize ionic concentration of their growing media and then evaluate fungal biomass by conducting laboratory and in vivo studies. It can improve the nutritive value of low quality forages by increasing their protein and essential amino acid contents. These SSF forages can be used as a feed to raise or fatten Nili Ravi Buffalo calves. However, the suitability of including SSF products in a complete diet must be assessed on a small scale before their routine use to fatten Nili Ravi buffalo calves. The SSF technology may offer a novel way of upgrading fibrous feeds at a farmer level in order to reduce feed cost and environmental pollution.
Author(s): Shahzad F, Chaudhry AS, Abdullah M, Bhatti JA, Jabbar MA, Javed K, Rehman A
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: Buffalo Bulletin
Year of Conference: 2013
Pages: 890-893
