Food for humans, feed for animals
A combination of nuclear techniques and agronomy skills has led to the development of feed supplements which can significantly increase milk production in dairy cows and buffaloes. Initially developed by Indonesian scientists, the multi-nutrient mixture makes use of locally available feedstuffs mixed with molasses and urea and offered to livestock as a urea-molasses block.
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| Credit IAEA |
To develop a supplement, radioactive and stable isotopes are used as markers to determine how feed material is digested, how the different nutrients are utilized and to discover any deficiency or imbalance in nutrients. Isotopes can also be used to measure the fermentation process in the rumen to determine the most appropriate diets for young animals, pregnant or lactating females and draft animals.
The appeal of the urea-molasses block lies in the use of one or more crop residues or agro-processing by-products. Straw, rice bran and cottonseed cake have been used in Asia as well as poultry litter and waste from fish processing. In Africa, oil palm and groundnut cake (i.e. the residue left after oil extraction) and cassava waste have also been used. Although the blocks are given in addition to other feeds, the supplement provides all the essential nutrients required by cattle. Urea provides soluble nitrogen for growth; molasses gives energy and the crop residue provides additional non-degradable protein (this is digested by the hind-stomach of the rumen, where it is broken down to provide the necessary amino acids for milk and meat production). For pregnant or lactating cows, essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus can also be added.
The feed blocks have been used for a number of years in central and western Java, where the supplement was first developed. With support from IAEA, training courses have been held in other regions to promote the technology and demonstrate how it can be adapted to make use of locally available feed materials. In Africa, the multi-nutrient blocks have already proved successful in Ethiopia, Morocco and Sudan. In Morocco, fish waste has been mixed with molasses and allowed to ferment to make a silage. Surprisingly, this molasses/fish silage does not smell and livestock, including camels, have responded well to the feed.
However, despite its obvious advantages, this supplement can be expensive, and possibly wasteful, if used throughout the year. The key is to provide the supplement when the animals need extra nutrients, such as before and immediately after producing young. This technique of 'strategic supplementation' is determined by monitoring hormone levels in the animal to assess milk production and reproductive ability (See: Improving reproductive performance).
