Raposo de Medeiros et al., 1993. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 5 (2): 16-24

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of substituting milo for steam-treated sugarcane bagasse (STB) on ruminal fermentation and in vivo digestibility. The diet with the greatest proportion of milo was also compared with another similar diet in which STB was replaced by raw sugarcane bagasse (RSB). The following basal diets were fed to 4 fistulated cows, 3 times a day (7 am, 1 pm & 7 pm): 26% RSB + 47% milo; 26% STB + 47% milo; 38% STB + 34% milo and 52% STB + 20% milo (dry matter basis). These diets represented the treatments RB26, SB26, SB38 and SB52, in the same order. They were completed with yeast (15%), molasses (6%), cottonseed meal (3%), sodium bicarbonate (0.8%) and minerals (1.7%). pH were not significantly different among treatments. The acetic acid level was significantly lower (P<0.05) in treatment RB26 than in treatments with STB. Although total volatile fatty acids production in treatment RB26 was numerically lower than in STB treatments, there was no significant difference (p=0.10) among them. Treatment RB26 resulted in highest figures concerning in situ insoluble matter degradation, significantly higher (p<0.05) than in treatments SB26 and SB38 for the 24-hour period of incubation and higher than SB26 for the 48 -hour period. The same treatments were given to eight rams, on two latin squares, in order to determine diet digestibilities. The highest values for dry matter digestibility and organic matter digestibility were obtained in treatments that had greater proportions of milo. The ADF digestibility was higher (p<0.05) in treatment RB26 than in treatments SB26 and SB38. Dry matter intake was significantly lower in treatment RB26.