The utilization of oil palm trunk as basal diet for ruminant Available to Purchase

The replanting period of oil palm plantations in Indonesia will occur simultaneously. Therefore, a very large area will be replanted, thus leaving waste in the form of oil palm trunks. Based on their nutritional content, oil palm trunks can be used as a source of fiber and energy for ruminants. The aim of the presented study was to test complete feeds based on oil palm trunk combined with protein source feed to be used as a complete feed for ruminants. The experiment tested three complete feeds containing 60% (OPT-1); 50% (OPT-2); and 40% (OPT-3) of oil palm trunk and three completed feeds containing oil palm trunk silage at a level 60% (OPTS-1); 50% (OPTS-2) and 40% (OPTS-3). The OPTs were mixed with leuchaena leucocephala and cassava leaves as protein sources feed, and POME as energy source feed. In vitro method was used to determine the rumen fermentation kinetics of six complete feeds during 48 hours of incubation time. The results show there was a significant difference in the NDF digestibility among the six complete diets investigated (P<0.05). The NDF digestibility of OPT-2 (60.16%) was significant highest among others. The total gas and CH₄ gas produced per unit of NDF and ADF digested were significant differences among the treatment (P<0.05). The OPT-2 produced the lowest total gas per unit NDF (1.04 ml/) and ADF (0.94 ml/g), as well as the CH₄ gas produced per unit of NDF (0.31 ml/g) and ADF (0.28 ml/g) digested (P<0.05). The total bacteria population on OPT-2 was the highest among the others. It can be concluded that OPT-2 is the best complete feed for ruminants. The optimum level of OPT in the complete feed is 50% with the addition of protein source feed from leguminous leaves being 40%.