Digestibilidad in vitro del Pasto Axonopus Scoparius en diferentes pisos altitudinales de la provincia de Morona Santiago.

Abstract

In Morona Santiago province, most of the pastures are managed in an agrosilvopastoral way for cattle production; therefore, this province lacks technical and updated information. So, the aim of this research was to determine the in vitro digestibility of Axonopus scoparius grass in different altitudinal levels. Three types of in vitro digestibility tests were compared using samples from 8 origins in the province of Morona Santiago, which were analyzed with different solutions such as bovine rumen liquor, digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid and artificial saliva, to determine the optimal treatment that resembles the in vivo test, elaborating dry matter samples T1 (digestibility time 24 hours) T2 (digestibility time 48 hours) T3 (digestibility time 72 hours) the research was carried out in the Laboratory of Bromatology and Animal Nutrition of the Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo. Seventy-two samples of dry matter were used, which were coded depending on the canton and altitudinal level, and the samples were distributed in three compartments of the Daysi equipment depending on the digestibility time. The study was carried out with three replicates each, determining a factorial experiment that corresponds to the additive linear model. It is determined that the best in vitro digestibility time by the Ruminal Liquor and Pepsin method is 72 hours since there is a correlation in that period, as well as, the influence of the physiological state of the pasture with the digestibility of the forages, so it is deduced that the digestibility of the pasture is given by the height when the analysis is done at 72 hours, where for each cm of height the digestibility reduces by 0.0852%.