Abstract 9

Kennedy,-PM

Davies Laboratory, Division of Tropical Animal Production, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

Domestic buffalo production in Asia. Proceedings of the final research co-ordination meeting on the use of nuclear techniques to improve domestic buffalo production in Asia - phase II, 20-24 February 1989, Rockhampton, Australia, organised by the joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. 1990, 21-40; 23 ref. Vienna, Austria; International Atomic Energy Agency.

In 5 experiments, adult Brahman crossbred cattle and swamp buffalo were given diets containing tropical forages (Chloris gayana, Heteropogon contortus, rice straw, Lablab purpureus, Stylosanthes hamata, Digitaria decumbens or Sorghum almum) without or with supplements of urea, minerals, cracked rice and unprotected or formaldehyde-protected sunflower meal. Differences in relative voluntary intake between species were not consistent, but cattle fed on some diets could not maintain optimal microbial fibrolytic activity because of low rumen ammonia concentration. However, there was little difference in response to urea or protein supplements between breeds. Buffaloes had a faster passage of rumen fluid, accompanied in some experiments by a faster passage of particulate digesta from the reticulorumen. In one experiment this was associated with stronger rumen contractions and extended rumination. It is suggested that the variability in relative intake between species may be linked to the higher intake by buffaloes in relation to the rate of digestion of particles in the rumen, and an animal/plant species interaction may result from the outflow to the intestines of microbial protein attached to small particles of differing fermentable fibre content.