ABSTRACT
Sugar beet pulp (SBP) was treated with Tricoderma verdi and Saccharomyces cervicia, or
with the mineral solution without the fungus or yeast (blank), by solid-state fermentation (SSF)
technique. Crude protein (CP) and ash contents increased in treated sugar beet pulp without or
with fungal treatment compared to the untreated material by (70.28 and 55.17%) and (72.99 and
105.315%), respectively. However, OM, CF, EE and NFE decreased in the SBP treated without
or with fungal as compared to the untreated material. The value of NPN was highly elevated in
the treated SBP compared to the untreated one. Insoluble and soluble protein in sodium chloride
or pepsin as percentage of CP increased without or with fungal treatment.
No significant (P> 0.05) differences were detected at the different incubation times for insitu
DM, OM and CP disappearance or the fitted values between treated and untreated SBP. The
intercept values at zero time (a), potentially degradable fraction (b), rate of degradation of b (c)
for DM, OM and CP degradability were insignificantly (P>0.05) different for both treated or
untreated SBP.
In two digestibility and nitrogen balance trials the first group received a ration containing
concentrate feed mixture (CFM), untreated SBP (USBP) and rice straw (RS) and the second
group received a ration containing CFM, treated SBP (TSBP) and RS. Untreated or treated SBP
were mashed and rice straw was chopped. A second digestibility trial was carried out to
overcome the problems of the first. One group received CFM and TSBP in mash form with RS,
while the second group received a ration containing CFM and TSBP mixed in pelleted form plus
RS.
Feeding treated SBP significantly (P<0.05) lowered feed consumption from CFM, treated
SBP (TSBP) and rice straw (RS) than from untreated one. Digestion coefficients of DM, OM,
CF and NFE in the first digestibility trials were significantly (P<0.05) lower with treated SBP
than that untreated, while EE digestibility was increased. In the second trial, digestibilities of
DM, OM, CP, CF, EE and NFE were significantly (P<0.05) increased with TSBP in the pelleted
form as compared to the mash form. Comparing the two experimental stages, the results showed
no significant (P>0.05) differences between untreated SBP and TSBP in pelleted form. The
values of TDN were significantly (P<0.05) decreased with feeding treated SBP compared to
untreated one, while treated SBP in pelleted form was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of
mash form. Pelleted TSBP was significantly (P<0.05) higher DCP values compared to mash
form and untreated SBP.