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Effects of grinding and sodium hydroxide treatment on poplar bark

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Animal Science

Volume

40

Issue

4

First Page

727

Last Page

733

Publication Date

1975

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to test physical and chemical processes which may increase the feeding value of poplar bark. In the first experiment, the effect of particle size on digestibility of poplar bark was studied using 18 growing lambs. The bark was ground through a hammer mill equipped with .32, .95 or 1.59 cm screens and ensiled for 10 weeks. The lambs were fed rations that consisted of 20% ground corn, 20% soybean meal and 60% bark, plus 25 g of a mineral and vitamin supplement. Dry matter digestibility was determined by the lignin ratio method. Dry matter digestibility of the bark, as determined by difference, was not enhanced when the bark was ground through the finer screens (27.4, 25.7 and 30.3% for screen sizes of .32, .95 and 1.59 cm, respectively).

In the second experiment, the effects of reaction time, temperature and concentration of NaOH on the composition and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) of poplar bark were studied. Two reaction times (1 and 20 days), three temperatures (25, 50 and 75 C) and five concentrations of NaOH (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 g NaOH/100 g of bark dry matter) were used. Hemicellulose and lignin contents of the poplar bark were reduced by treatment with 9 or 12 g of NaOH per 100 g of bark. This effect of NaOH was obtained in 1 day and was not greatly influenced by temperature. Treatment of the bark with 9 or 12 g of NaOH resulted in significant (P < .05) increases in IVTD.

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