EVALUATION OF CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF Papsalum spp GRASS TREATED WITH UREA AND MOLASSES

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the chemical composition Papsalum spp grass treated with urea or molasses. The result showed a significant (P<0.05) difference across all treatments in moisture, Ash, crude fibre, crude lipid, crude protein, Nitrogen free extract, Neutral detergent fibre, Acid detergent fibre and Dry matter contents. Moisture was among then treatments with T2 having the highest moisture content (14.65%) while, T4, had lowest moisture content (10.26%). Ash content was significant across the treatments, T2 had the highest Ash content of (8.12%) while, T2 had lowest (6.50%). Crude fibre (CF) was significantly different among the treatments, T2 had highest (27.84%) while T2, had lowest (22.14%). Similarly, there was significant difference in crude lipid (CL) among the treatments, T2 had highest (3.48%) while, T4 had lowest (2.35%). Crude protein also recorded, significant difference across the treatments, T4 had highest (12.03%) while T3 had lowest (14.48%). Again, there was significant difference in Nitrogen free extract among the treatments, T4 had highest (49.29%) while, T2 had lowest (35.28%). Similarly, there was significant difference in Neutral detergent fibre among the treatments, T4 had highest (27.69%) while, T1 T2 and T3, (14.77%), (18.56%) and (15.5%) lower than T4. Also, there was significant difference in Acid detergent fibre among the treatments T2 had highest (15.99%) while, T1 had lowest (8.70%) Similarly, there was significant difference in dry matter among the treatments, T4 had highest (89.76%) while, T2 had lowest (85.35%). It was concluded that, the urea treated samples has the highest crude protein (9.87%) with the acceptable range for effective animal nutrition and therefore it was recommended that, urea can be used to treat Papsalum spp and to feed ruminant animals without adverse effect with the sole aim of boosting the CP content of dry grass.