Livestock Research for Rural Development 30 (9) 2018 Guide for preparation of papers LRRD Newsletter

Citation of this paper

Effect of biochar on growth performance of local “Yellow” cattle fed ensiled cassava roots, fresh brewers’ grains and rice straw

Bounthavy Vongkhamchanh, T R Preston1, R A Leng2, Le Van An3 and Duong Thanh Hai3

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Champasack University, Champasak, Lao PDR
vongkhamchanhd@yahoo.com
1 Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria (CIPAV), Carrera 25 No 6-62 Cali, Colombia
2 University of New England, Armidale NSW, Australia
3 Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Hue University, Vietnam

Abstract

In a 56-day experiment with 6 local Yellow cattle fed ensiled cassava root-urea, brewers’ grains and rice straw, there were indications (p=0.08) that after an initial 4-week adaptation to the diet, the cattle were growing faster when 1% of biochar (derived from rice husk) was incorporated in the diet.

Keywords: biofilms, habitat, mycotoxins, rice husks


Introduction

Biochar is a carbonized plant material produced by high-temperature (>500°C) pyrolysis of fiber-rich biomass, preferably as a co-product with producer gas, as in an updraft gasifier stove (Photo 1) or in a downdraft gasifier (Rodríguez et al 2009; Lanh et al 2016; Orosco et al 2018).

Photo 1. Producing biochar from rice husk in a gasifier stove (from Thuy Hang et al 2018)

Biochar is becoming increasingly important in agricultural systems (Kammann et al 2017) as a means of improving soil fertility (Bouaravong et al 2017) and sequestering atmospheric carbon (Lehmann 2007). The principal virtue of biochar is thought to be in its surface area which is reported to range from 100 to 460 m2/g (Park et al 2013). It was postulated (Leng 2014) that this characteristic of biochar enables it to act as a support mechanism for biofilms that provide habitat for microbial communities which bind and degrade phytotoxins. Support for this idea is provided by the results of an initial study in Laos (Leng et al 2012), in which growth rates of local Yellow cattle fed fresh cassava root, urea and cassava foliage were increased 20% by adding 1% biochar to the diet. In the light of recent knowledge (Leng 2017), it is hypothesized that mycotoxins may have proliferated in the stored cassava roots and that the improved animal response from feeding biochar may have been due its action in binding the mycotoxins This concept is supported by the report of Prasai et al (2017) that: “supplementation of laying hens’ diets with biochar, zeolite or bentonite improved egg yield and feed conversion ratio, with these additives potentially acting as detoxifiers or inhibiting growth of microbial pathogens, slowing digestion or altering the gut anatomy and microbiota to improve feed conversion ratio”.

The rationale for conducting the following experiment was to obtain further evidence concerning the potential benefits from feeding biochar as an additive in cattle fattening diets based on ensiled cassava roots and brewers’ grains.


Materials and Methods

Location and duration

The experiment was conducted in the Integrated Demonstration Station, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Champasak University, Lao PDR.

Treatments and experimental design

The treatments were absence or presence of biochar (1% as DM) in a diet of ensiled cassava root supplemented with urea, brewers’ grains and rice straw. Six local Yellow cattle (initial weights from 90 to 100kg) were housed in individual pens, three on each treatment. The experiment lasted 56 days. They were vaccinated against endemic diseases and drenched against internal parasites before starting the experiment.

Feeds and feeding system

The basal diet was ad libitum ensiled cassava root (with 3% urea on DM basis added prior to feeding) with supplements of fresh brewers’ grains and rice straw (both at 1% of live weight as DM).

Feeding management

The rice straw was collected from farmers’ fields in the area. Brewers’ grains were donated by the local beer factory. Cassava roots were purchased from farmers, chopped and ensiled in plastic bags for five days before feeding, Urea was purchased from the market. A mineral mixture containing salt (NaCl) 40%, sulphur 5% and lime (calcium carbonate) 35% was provided ad libitum. Water was freely available. Biochar was made from rice husks in a gasifier stove (Photo 1).

Data collection

The cattle were weighed before feeding in the morning at the beginning of the experiment and at 14-day intervals. Feeds offered, and residues, were recorded daily; samples of each were collected every 14 days and stored at -18 C. At the end of the experiment, the samples were bulked on an individual animal basis prior to analysis.

Chemical analysis

Feed samples were analyzed for dry matter (DM), ash and nitrogen following the procedures of AOAC (1990).

Statistical analysis

Live weight gain was determined from the linear regression of live weight (Y) on days in the experiment (X). The recorded data were analyzed by the general linear model option in the ANOVA program of the Minitab software (MINITAB 2000). Sources of variation in the model were were treatments and error. As there appeared to be an improvement in growth response to biochar in succeeding months (Figure 1), separate analyses were run for each of the two months of the experiment.


Results

Chemical composition of feeds

The analyzed values were in the range of those reported in https://www.feedipedia.org/

Table 1. Chemical composition (CP is crude protein) of diet ingredients
(% DM basis, except for DM which is on % fresh basis)

DM

CP

Ash

NDF

ADF

Rice straw

94.8

3.05

13.1

65.5

41.1

Ensiled cassava root

35.6

2.07

0.81

34.8

27.5

Brewers’ grains

25.9

28.4

5.91

31.8

21.6

Feed intake

More rice straw was eaten when the diet was supplemented with biochar (Table 2), but total DM intake was not affected.

Table 2. Mean values for intake of diet components (kg DM) during the 56-day trial

No biochar

Biochar

SEM

p

Rice straw

67.4

71.8

0.593

0.035

Ensiled cassava root

67.7

67.5

2.36

0.954

Brewers' grains

72.7

74.5

1.43

0.478

Total

213

221

3.20

0.223

Growth and feed conversion

It was apparent from the trends in live weight with time on experiment (Figure 2) that there was an adaptation period of some 3-4 weeks before there was a response to the biochar additive.

Figure 1. Trends in live weight of the cattle over the 56 days of the experiment
according to the treatment with or without biochar additive

When growth rates were calculated separately for the two periods: 0-28d and 28 to 56d (Table 3) there was a strong indication (p=0.08) of improvement due to the biochar additive (Figure 3).

Table 3. Mean values for live weight, DM intake and feed
conversion for local Yellow cattle fed ensiled cassava root-urea,
brewers’ grains and rice straw with and without biochar

No biochar

Biochar

SEM

p

Live weight, kg

Initial

116

118

0.655

28d

130

133

2.34

56d

145

151

3.70

0.37

LW gain, kg/d

0-28d

0.487

0.548

0.064

0.54

28-56d

0.510

0.635

0.038

0.08

0-56d

0.55

0.644

3.61

0.37

DMI, kg

213

221

3.2

0.22

FCR, kg/kg

7.32

6.69

0.739

0.611

DMI, DM intake, FCR, feed DM conversion



Figure 2. Live weight gain over successive 28-day periods of local Yellow cattle fed ensiled cassava
root-urea, brewers’ grains and rice straw with and without 1% biochar in the diet


Discussion

The experiment could not be continued beyond 56 days for reasons beyond the control of the authors. However, the indications of a positive production response from feeding the biochar are in line with previous reports with cattle (Leng et al 2012; Sengsouly and Preston 2016), goats (Silivong et al 2018; Thuy Hang et al 2018), pigs (Sivilai et al 2018), hens (Prasai et al 2017) and fish (Lan et al 2016).

Further support for incorporating biochar in livestock feeds is in the report by Joseph et al (2015) where it was shown that the excreta from cattle fed biochar mixed in molasses had ameliorating effects on plant growth when recycled to the soil.

Added to the diverse positive effects of biochar on animal and plant growth are the findings of the reduction in rumen methane production both in vitro (Leng et al 2013; Vongkhamchanh et al 2015; Saleem et al 2018) and in vivo (Leng et al 2012; Sengsouly and Preston 2016) when biochar was added to the substrate/feed.


Conclusions


Acknowledgements

This research is part of the requirement by the senior author for the degree of PhD at Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry. The support from the MEKARN II project, financed by Sida, is gratefully acknowledged, as is that from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Champasack University for providing laboratory facilities to carry out this research.


References

AOAC 1990 Official methods of analysis. 15th ed. AOAC, Washington, D.C.

Bouaravong B, Dung N N X and Preston T R 2017 Effect of biochar and biodigester effluent on yield of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) foliage. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 29, Article #69. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd29/4/boun29069.html

Joseph S, Pow D, Dawson K, Mitchell R G, Rawal, A, Hook J, Taherymoosavi S, Van Zwieten L, Rust J, Donne S, Munroe P, Pace B, Graber E, Thomas T, Nielsen S, Ye J, Li Y, Pan G, Li L and Solaiman Z M 2015 Feeding Biochar to Cows: An Innovative Solution for Improving Soil Fertility and Farm Productivity. Pedosphere 25(5): 666-679.

Kammann Claudia, Ippolito J, Hagemann Nikolas et al 2017 Biochar as a tool to reduce the agricultural greenhouse-gas burden – knowns, unknowns and future research needs. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 25 (2) https://www.google.com.co/search?q=Kammann+Claudia%2C+Ippolito+J%2C+Hagemann+Nikolas&oq=Kammann+Claudia%2C+Ippolito+J%2C+Hagemann+Nikolas&aqs=chrome..69i57.1824j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Lan T T, Preston T R and Leng R A 2016 Feeding biochar or charcoal increased the growth rate of striped catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) and improved water quality. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 28, Article #84. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/5/lan28084.html

Lanh N V, Bich N H, Hung B N, Khang D N and Preston T R 2016 Effect of the air-flow on the production of syngas, tar and biochar using rice husk and sawdust as feedstock in an updraft gasifier stove. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 28, Article #71. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/5/lanh28071.html

Lehmann J 2007 A handful of carbon. Nature 447 143-144 http://www.css.cornell.edu/faculty/lehmann/publ/Nature%20447,%20143-144,%202007%20Lehmann.pdf

Leng R A, Preston T R and Inthapanya S 2012 Biochar reduces enteric methane and improves growth and feed conversion in local “Yellow” cattle fed cassava root chips and fresh cassava foliage. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 24, Article #199. Retrieved June 25, 2018, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd24/11/leng24199.htm

Leng R A, Inthapanya S and Preston T R 2013 All biochars are not equal in lowering methane production in in vitro rumen incubations. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 25, Article #106. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd25/6/leng25106.htm

Leng R A 2014 Interactions between microbial consortia in biofilms: a paradigm shift in rumen microbial ecology and enteric methane mitigation. Animal Production Science 54, 519–543

Leng R A 2017 Biofilm compartmentalisation of the rumen microbiome: modification of fermentation and degradation of dietary toxins. Animal Production Science. 57(11) 2188-2203. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17382

MINITAB 2000 Minitab Software, Release 13.31 User’s guide to statistics. Minitab Inc., USA

Orosco J, Patiño F J, Quintero M J and Rodríguez L 2018 Residual biomass gasification on a small scale and its thermal utilization for coffee drying. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 30, Article #5. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/1/jair30005.html

Park J, Hung I, Gan Z, Rojas O J, Lim K H and Park S 2013 Activated carbon from biochar: Influence of its physicochemical properties on the sorption characteristics of phenanthrene. Bioresource Technology 149: 383-389.

Prasai T P, Walsh K B, Midmore D J and Bhattarai S P 2017 Effect of biochar, zeolite and bentonite feed supplements on egg yield and excreta. Animal Production Science https://doi.org/10.1071/AN16290

Rodríguez L, Salazar P and Preston T R 2009 Effect of biochar and biodigester effluent on growth of maize in acid soils. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 21, Article #110. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd21/7/rodr21110.htm

Saleem A M, Ribeiro G O Jr, Yang W Z, Ran T, Beauchemin K A, McGeough E J, Ominski K H, Okin E and McAllister T A 2018 Effect of engineered biocarbon on rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis, and methane production in an artificial rumen (RUSITEC) fed a high forage diet. J Anim Sci. 2018 Jun 14. pii: 5038007 . doi: 10.1093/jas/sky204.

Sengsouly P and Preston T R 2016 Effect of rice-wine distillers’ byproduct and biochar on growth performance and methane emissions in local “Yellow” cattle fed ensiled cassava root, urea, cassava foliage and rice straw. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 28, Article #178. Retrieved June 22, 2018, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/10/seng28178.html

Silivong P, Preston T R, Van N H and Hai D T 2018 Brewers’ grains (5% of diet DM) increases the digestibility, nitrogen retention and growth performance of goats fed a basal diet ofBauhinia accuminata and foliage from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) or water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica). Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 30, Article #55. Retrieved June 22, 2018, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/3/siliv30055.html

Sivilai B, Preston T R, Leng R A, Hang D T and Linh N Q 2018 Rice distillers’ byproduct and biochar as additives to a forage-based diet for growing Moo Lath pigs; effects on growth and feed conversion. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 30, Article #111. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/6/lert30111.html

Thuy Hang L T, Preston T R, Leng R A and Ba N X 2018 Effect of biochar and water spinach on feed intake, digestibility and N-retention in goats fed urea-treated cassava stems. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 30, Article #93. Retrieved June 23, 2018, from http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/5/thuyh30093.html

Vongkhamchanh B, Inthapanya S and Preston T R 2015 Methane production in an in vitro rumen fermentation is reduced when the carbohydrate substrate is fresh rather than ensiled or dried cassava root, and when biochar is added to the substrate. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 27, Article #208. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd27/10/bobb27208.html


Received 2 July 2018; Accepted 31 July 2018; Published 3 September 2018

Go to top