Chemical Composition and Macro and Micro Mineral Profile of Crop Residues Based Livestock Feed Ingredients in the Gangetic Plains of Varanasi, India

Abstract

Analysis of nutrient composition in terms of chemical constituents and macro and micro mineral profile of crop residues used in livestock feeding in dairy farms of Varanasi was performed so as to explore the suitable nutritional intervention for optimum and efficient utilization of these crop residues for maximum production. A total of 70 samples of 8 different crop residues were collected from dairy farms which farmers were feeding to their dairy animals and these samples were investigated for macro and micro mineral profile along with chemical constituents. All the crop residues based roughages contained major nutrients and fibre fractions within the normal range. Among, macro-minerals, calcium and phosphorus content in the dry roughages ranged from 0.21 – 2.01 and 0.13 – 0.33%, respectively. Mg content in the dry roughages ranged from 0.15% in Triticum aestivum straw to 0.48% in Pennisetum glaucum stover. Na and K content were highest (0.31 and 3.22%), respectively in Pennisetum glaucum straw however, lowest Na and K content (0.01 and 0.41%) were found in Sorghum bicolor stover and Zea mays stover, respectively. S content (0.49%) was highest in Pisumsativum straw; while, least S content (0.07%) was observed in Zea mays stover. Among the micro-minerals in the dry roughages, Cu content varied from 0.24 ppm in Triticum aestivum straw to 7.89 ppm in Cajanus cajan straw. Concentration (ppm) of other micro-minerals viz., Zn, Mn, Fe, Co, Mo and Se ranged from 3.68-35.77, 5.65-202.00, 64.15-569.00, 0.00-819.00, 0.00-1.12 and 0.00-0.91, respectively in these crop residues based dry roughages.