Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T16:15:16.187Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sewage-grown algae as a source of supplementary nitrogen for ruminants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. Hasdai  and
D. Ben Ghedalia
A. Hasdai
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, Israel
D. Ben Ghedalia
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, The Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet Dagan, Israel
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

A sheep-feeding experiment was carried out to assess the nutritional value of algae meal as a protein supplement in ruminant diets. The algae, mainly Chlorella, were grown in sewage ponds, harvested by flocculation with alumina (Al2(SO4)3.18H2O), and then drum-dried. Eight young rams, divided into two equal groups, were offered a basal concentrated diet, to which algae meal or soya-bean meal (SBM) was added to contribute 50% of the dietary nitrogen (N).

The digestibility values of dry matter (D.M.) were 69·3 and 79·3%, and those of organic matter (OM) were 75·3 and 82·2% for the algae diet and the SBM diet, respectively.

Nitrogen digestibility of the algae diet was 16% lower than that of the SBM diet and the calculated value of N digestibility in algae meal was 61·7%. However, there was no difference between treatments in the daily amount of retained-N or in the proportion of digested N which was retained in the body.

The algae meal contained 5·7% aluminium. This was probably the reason for the much lower P absorption in the algae diet (6·67%) as compared with the SBM diet (29·5%).

Ammonia-N concentration was lower and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration was higher in the rumen of the algae diet-fed sheep. However, the VFA profile was similar for both diets.

Sewage-grown algae could perhaps be used as a protein supplement for ruminants, provided that the harvesting technology is directed to produce a low-mineral, low-aluminium, young biomass, which would be highly digestible and would not interfere with P absorption.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 97 , Issue 3 , December 1981 , pp. 533 - 537
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ben-Ghedalia, D., Tagari, H., Zamwel, S. & Bondi, A. (1975). Solubility and net exchange of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in digesta flowing along the gut of the sheep. The British Journal of Nutrition 33, 87–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burroughs, W., Nilson, D. K. & Mertens, D. R. (1975). Evaluation of protein nutrition by metabolizable protein and urea fermentation potential. Journal of Dairy Science 58, 611–619.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calderon, C. J. F., Merino, Z. H. & Barragan, M. D. (1976). Feeding value of the algae spirulina (Spirulina geitleri) for ruminants. Technica Pecuaria en Mexico 31, 42–66.Google Scholar
Conway, E. J. (1947). Microdiffusion Analysis and Volumetric Error. 2nd edn. London: Crosby Lockwood and Sons.Google Scholar
Davis, I. F., Sharkey, M. J. & Williams, D. (1975). Utilization of sewage algae in association with paper in diets of sheep. Agriculture and Environment 2, 333–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goering, H. K. & Van Soest, P. J. (1970). Forage fibre analysis (apparatus, reagents, procedures and some applications). Agricultural Research Service. USDA, Agricultural Handbook, No. 379. Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Gomori, G. (1942). A modification of the colorimetric phosphorus determination for use with photometric colorimeter. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 27, 7584–7592.Google Scholar
Hepher, B., Sandbank, E. & Shelef, G. (1979). Alternative protein sources for warm water fish diets. In Finfish Nutrition and Fishfeed Technology, vol. 1 (ed. Halver, J. E. and Tiews, K.), pp. 327–341. Berlin: Heenemann.Google Scholar
Kelly, N. C. & Thomas, P. C. (1978). The nutritive value of silages. Energy metabolism in sheep receiving diets of grass silage or grass silage and barley. The British Journal of Nutrition 40, 205–219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lipstein, B. & Hurwitz, S. (1980). The nutritional value of algae for poultry. Dried Chlorella in broiler diets. British Poultry Science 21, 9–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mokady, S., Yannai, S. & Berk, Z. (1976). Combined system for algae wastewater treatment reclamation and protein production. Nutrition and toxicology group. Annual Report no. 2. Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.Google Scholar
Moraine, R., Shelef, A. G., Meydan, A. & Levi, A. (1979). Algal single cell protein from wastewater treatment and renovation process. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 21, 1191–1207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowland, L. O. Jr, Lincoln, E. P., Hooge, D. M. & Valentine, T. L. (1979). Evaluation of high ash algae meals. Poultry Science 58, 1023.Google Scholar
Roy, J. H. B., Balch, C. C., Miller, E. L., Ørskov, E. R. & Smith, R. H. (1977). Calculation of N requirements for ruminants from nitrogen metabolism studies. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Protein Metabolism and Nutrition, pp. 126–128. Wageningen: PUDOC.Google Scholar
Van De Kamer, J. H., Huinink, T. B. & Weyers, H. A. (1949). Rapid method for the determination of fat in feces. Journal of Biological Chemistry 177, 347–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vijchulata, P., Henry, P. R., Ammerman, C. B., Potter, S. G., Palmer, A. Z. & Becker, H. N. (1980). Effect of dried citrus pulp and cage layer manure in combination with monensin on performance and tissue mineral composition in finishing steers. Journal of Animal Science 50, 1022–1030.CrossRefGoogle Scholar