Abstract 624

Maricel Becerra*, E Murgueitio**, G Reyes* and T R Preston**

* Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional, Palmira; **CIPAV, AA7482, Cali, Colombia

Livestock Research for Rural Development 1990 2(2): 15-22.

The aquatic plant Azolla filiculoides was grown in nine tanks of total area 468 m² and fed as partial replacement (0, 15 and 30%) of the protein in a soyabean-based supplement given in restricted quantities (200 g protein/animal/daily) with fresh sugar cane juice to growing-fattening pigs. The trial was done on a commercial farm in the Cauca Valley in Colombia (1000m above sea level; mean temperature 24?C and rainfall 1100mm).

The recorded productivity of the Azolla during the 5 month period of the trial was high (equivalent to 9 tonnes protein/ha/year). In the growing phase, pig performance decreased as the amount of Azolla in the diet increased. These effects were reversed in the fininishing phase when there was a strong tendency for the pigs fed azolla to grow faster than on the control treatment. The final result was that there were no differences in growth rate among treatment groups for the total period of the trial (from 24 to 89 kg liveweight).

This preliminary information has served to stimulate interest in the growing and use of Azolla as a protein supplement in Colombia. The technology is already being applied on a number of farms with satisfactory results both from the biological and economic standpoint. More importantly, these on-farm activities are generating invaluable information concerning the practice of growing and utilization of this feed resource under varying environmental conditions.