IMPROVING NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF SOME FIBROUS AGRICULTURAL WASTES USING WHITE ROT FUNGI (PLEUROTUS PLUMONARIUS)

Abstract

A 30-day study was carried out to convert separately milled cocoa pod (CP), cowpea husk (CH) and corn cobs (CC) to a value added ruminant feed employing white rot fungus, (Pleurotus plumonarius) through a solid state fermentation procedure. Chemical composition of resulting substrates were determined. Results revealed significant (p<0.05) differences in the values of the proximate composition and fibre fractions. The dry matter and crude protein ranged from 91.33 to 92.40% in CCand CP, and 4.83 to 6.69% in CC and CH respectively for undegraded samples, while it ranged from 46.17 to 65.51 in CC and CH, and 9.31 to 10.27% in CP and CH respectively for the biodegraded agricultural wastes. It was observed that fermentation with Pleurotus plumonarius increased the crude protein content significantly (p<0.05). Same trend was observed for ether extract and ash content. The fibre fractions of CP, CH and CC were reduced by biological treatment with Pleurotus plumonarius. The neutral detergent fibre (NDF) reduced from 60.39 to 50.23%, 53.47 to 50. 43% and 52.85 to 50.26% in CP, CH and CC respectively. Same trend was observed for ADF and ADL. It can be concluded that the white rot fungal treatment of CP, CH and CC improved chemical composition, therefore CP, CH and CC has potential in livestock nutrition. Also the problem associated with disposal of agricultural wastes can be conveniently reduced by incorporating these wastes into ruminant feed.