Department of Wildland Resources Old Main Hill, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT.
J Anim Sci. 2020 Dec 1;98(12). doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa380.
The objective of this study was to determine the influence of biochar obtained from exothermic production of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) on sheep performance and diet digestibility and on preference for a ration enriched with this carbon-based material. Twenty-four lambs were housed in individual pens and assigned to one of three treatment groups (eight animals per group), where they received: 1) a 60:40 ration of alfalfa:barley (Control), 2) an isoenergetic and isonitrogenous ration with alfalfa, barley, and 2% biochar (BC), and 3) a simultaneous offer of the Control and BC rations (Choice). Lambs were exposed to two consecutive feeding periods (Period 1: 13 d and Period 2: 21 d), representing time intervals where the evolution of intake, animal performance, and rumen parameters were assessed; in vivo digestibility was determined during the last 5 d of the study. Ration intake did not differ among groups of lambs (P > 0.10), although during some days in Period 2, intake was greater for the BC and Choice groups than for the Control group (P < 0.05). Lambs in Choice had a lower preference for BC than for the Control ration (Period 1: P < 0.05; Period 2: P < 0.10), although they incorporated a substantial amount of BC (39 and 40%, for Periods 1 and 2, respectively) into their diets. No differences in body weight gains (ADG) or gain-to-feed ratios were found among groups of animals (P > 0.10), although dry matter digestibility and digestible dry matter intake was greater for lambs in the BC group than for lambs in Control group (P < 0.05). The ruminal concentration of the volatile acid acetate in Period 2 was greater for BC than for Choice (P < 0.05). During the same period, the concentration of valerate and ruminal pH values were greater in BC than in Control (P < 0.05). Thus, the addition of biochar to grain-based diets enhanced diet digestibility and influenced some ruminal parameters in lambs. Nevertheless, these positive effects were not reflected in significant improvements on ADG or feed conversion efficiencies. Lambs offered choices between Control and BC rations formed a diet with concentrations of biochar of ~1.2%, suggesting that these animals would tolerate such levels without reductions in ration palatability.
本研究的目的是确定由放热生产花旗松（Pinus contorta）和颤杨（Populus tremuloides）获得的生物炭对绵羊生产性能和饲料消化率的影响，以及对富含这种碳素材料的日粮的偏好。24 只羔羊被安置在单独的围栏中，并分为三组（每组 8 只动物）：1）紫花苜蓿：大麦 60:40 日粮（对照），2）含有紫花苜蓿、大麦和 2%生物炭的等能量和等氮日粮（BC），3）同时提供对照和 BC 日粮（选择）。羔羊经历了两个连续的饲养期（第 1 期：13 天和第 2 期：21 天），在这段时间里评估了采食量、动物生产性能和瘤胃参数的演变；在研究的最后 5 天进行体内消化率测定。各组羔羊的日粮摄入量无差异（P>0.10），但在第 2 期的某些日子里，BC 和选择组的摄入量高于对照组（P<0.05）。与对照日粮相比，选择组的羔羊对 BC 的偏好较低（第 1 期：P<0.05；第 2 期：P<0.10），尽管它们将大量的 BC（第 1 期和第 2 期分别为 39%和 40%）纳入其饮食中。各组动物的体重增重（ADG）或增重与采食量比无差异（P>0.10），但 BC 组的干物质消化率和可消化干物质采食量高于对照组（P<0.05）。第 2 期 BC 的挥发性脂肪酸乙酸盐浓度高于选择组（P<0.05）。同期，BC 的戊酸盐浓度和瘤胃 pH 值高于对照组（P<0.05）。因此，在谷物基础日粮中添加生物炭可提高日粮消化率并影响羔羊的一些瘤胃参数。然而，这些积极影响并未反映在 ADG 或饲料转化率的显著提高上。在对照和 BC 日粮之间进行选择的羔羊形成了一种含有约 1.2%生物炭的日粮，表明这些动物可以耐受这种水平而不会降低日粮适口性。
