Optimum Castor Meal Application in the Cultivation of Pak Choi (Brassica chinensis L.) with Toxicity Survey for Earthworms (Eisenia andrei)

In Taiwan, castor meal (CM) is often used by farmers as an organic fertilizer for the supplement of plant nutrition. It can rapidly increase nitrogen availability for crops. However, the excessive application of CM will affect the ecosystem. This study was conducted to evaluate the optimum concentration of CM that can be used as a fertilizer for balancing crop production and soil ecosystem health (by considering earthworms). Pak choi was selected for the experiment. A randomized block design with three replications was used, with treatments consisting of five concentrations of CM (namely 25, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kg/0.1 ha) and fermented livestock compost 800 kg/0.1 ha, represented as CM25, CM50, CM100, CM150, CM200, and LC800, respectively. The results revealed that soil properties, leaf nutrient concentration, and plant traits, namely plant diameter, plant height, and fresh and dry root and shoot matter, improved with the increasing concentrations of CM, and CM100–CM200, and led to the highest production of pak choi which was equivalent to that with LC800. However, the weight of earthworms decreased as CM concentrations increased. The weight of earthworms was similar between CM25, CM50, CM100, and LC800. In conclusion, given the characteristics of high nitrogen as a fertilizer, the optimal dose of CM was 100–150 kg/0.1 ha for obtaining a balance between crop production and ecosystem safety.

Effect of sample size on kinetic parameters of roughage and concentrated feeds by a semi-automated in vitro gas production system

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different amounts of incubated samples on the kinetic parameters of in vitro fermentation of roughage and concentrated food used for feeding ruminants. Samples were prepared using 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg of air-dried roughage and concentrated sample, ground to 1 mm, and placed in 120 mL glass flasks. Next, inoculum and McDougal solution were added, and the readings were obtained using a semi-automated pressure transducer up to 96 h after the beginning of the incubations. Gas production of the non-fibrous fraction increased linearly (P < 0.05) for sugarcane, Marandu grass silage, corn silage, dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles, dried brewer’s yeast, bean residue, wet brewer’s grains, sunflower meal, and Jatropha meal; quadratically (P < 0.05) for Napier grass silage and cottonseed meal; and cubically (P < 0.05) for castor meal and soybean meal. The degradation rate of the non-fibrous fraction reduced linearly (P < 0.05) for sugarcane, Napier grass silage, and castor meal; quadratically (P < 0.05) for Marandu grass silage; and cubically (P < 0.05) for corn silage, soybean meal, dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles, bean residue, and cottonseed meal. Gas production of the fibrous fraction increased linearly (P < 0.05) for Napier grass silage, Marandu grass silage, corn silage, dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles, bean residue, wet brewer’s grain, cottonseed meal, and sunflower meal; quadratically ( < 0.05) for Jatropha meal; and cubically (P < 0.05) for sugarcane, castor meal, and soybean meal. The degradation rate of the fibrous fraction increased linearly (P < 0.05) for Napier grass silage, dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles, dried brewer’s yeast, wet brewer’s grains; quadratically (P < 0.05) for corn silage and castor meal; and cubically (P < 0.05) for sugarcane, Marandu grass silage, and bean residue. The lag time reduced linearly (P < 0.05) for castor meal and dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles; quadratically (P < 0.05) for Napier grass silage; and cubically (P < 0.05) for sugarcane, Marandu grass silage, corn silage, soybean meal, bean residue, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal, and Jatropha meal. Thus, our findings suggest that the kinetic parameters of in vitro fermentation were affected as a function of the amount of incubated sample.

Metabolic stress and reproductive features in post-partum goats supplemented for a long period with detoxified castor meal as the source of dietary nitrogen

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effect of detoxified castor meal on the reproductive performance, metabolic stress, milk production, and kid development in peripartum goats. The diet of the animals were with (DCM, n= 20) or without (WDCM, n= 21) detoxified castor meal during the entire gestation and until weaning, 60 days post-birth. No differences were observed in the gestation period, litter size, rate of multiple births, and mortality between the two groups. The postpartum plasma concentrations of progesterone remained below 1ng/mL in all animals, thus, confirming the absence of active corpora lutea. The thickness of sternum adipose tissue and loin area, levels of urea and cholesterol, milk production, and daily weight gain in the kids were low in the DCM group when compared to those in the WDCM group (P< 0.05). To conclude, the use of detoxified castor meal in peripartum goats resulted in lower level of performance in the kids because of reductions in the amount of milk received from their mothers during lactation. In addition, the diet containing detoxified castor meals was not efficient in recovering from the loss of stored body reserves able to initiate the recovery of the cyclic activity of the goats.

The Use of Castor Meal, a by-Product of the Biodiesel Industry, in a Beef Production System in Tropical Pastures

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of castor meal, a by-product of the biodiesel industry, on growth performance and feeding behavior of heifers in a pasture production system in Northeast Brazil. Forty Holstein × Zebu crossbred heifers with an initial body weight of 257±26 kg were kept on a Brachiaria decumbens pasture under continuous grazing. The experiment lasted 140 days and was conducted in a completly randomized design with five levels of replacement of soybean meal with castor meal (0, 200, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg of dry matter) in the supplements. Intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, performance, and carcass characteristics were evaluated. The total intakes of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), ether extract, and total digestible nutrients (TDN) decreased as the castor meal levels were increased. The digestibility coefficients of DM, CP, OM, and TDN decreased as the levels of castor meal in the supplement were increased. The castor meal levels in the supplement did not affect final body weight, average daily gain, feed conversion, hot carcass weight, or carcass dressing of the heifers. The use of supplements containing up to 1000 g/kg DM castor meal replacing soybean meal reduced the DM intake but did not change the average daily gain and feed efficiency of the heifers. Thus, the use of castor meal is a recommendable strategy to reduce production costs in a beef cattle grazing system.