Chemical composition and productive performance of silage of taro tubers and foliage (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) in rearing pigs

Abstract

To determine the chemical composition of silage of taro tubers and foliage (Colocasia esculenta L. Schott) and its effect on productive indicators of rearing pigs, pH, temperature, dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, ether extract, nitrogen free extract and gross energy were evaluated. For the study of productive indicators, daily food intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion and final weight were determined. Sixteen castrated male pigs (Landrace x Belgian White), 45 days old, with a mean
live weight of 12 ± 2 kg were used. Animals were distributed into two treatments: T0 (corn and protein concentrate) and T30 (inclusion of 30 % of silage in the diet), in equal parts, according to a completely randomized design. Data was analyzed by ANOVA and the comparison of means was made with the Fisher test (P <0.05). Silage presented pH (4.39), temperature (22 ºC), dry matter (30.91 %), crude protein (12.07 %), nitrogen free extract (77.03 %), crude energy (17.88 kJ g DM-1), crude fiber (3.24 %), ashes (4.74 %) and ether extract (2.89 %). There was no effect (P>0.05) for daily food intake (1.15; 1.11 kg), daily weight gain
(0.55; 0.53 kg), food conversion (2.08; 2.09 kg/kg) and final weight (30.50; 29.06 kg) of animals, respectively. The inclusion of 30 % of silage of tubers with taro foliage in the diet of rearing pigs did not affect the productive performance of animals, so it constitutes an alternative food with adequate nutritional characteristics for this category.
Key words: alternative food, Ecuadorian Amazon, pigs, solid fermented