Rumen degradation of straw. 8. Effect of alkaline hydrogen peroxide on degradation of straw using either sodium hydroxide or gaseous ammonia as source of alkali

Abstract

The comparative effect of spraying wheat straw, maize stover and maize cob with sodium hydroxide and alkaline (sodium hydroxide treated) hydrogen peroxide over a range of moisture contents was evaluated. The effect of concentration of hydrogen peroxide on straw subsequently ammoniated was also investigated. No differences (P < 0·05) were detected between sodium hydroxide and similar concentrations of sodium hydroxide used to provide alkali for alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatments. When however, gaseous ammonia was used as the source of alkali there were significant linear increases in degradability with increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. At 48 h incubation, degradability values for untreated, ammonia-treated, 10, 50 and 100 g alkaline (ammonia) hydrogen peroxide per kg were 528, 595, 640, 676 and 716 for wheat straw, 618, 652, 683, 717 and 743 for maize stover and 392, 467, 585, 632 and 686 g/kg for maize cob respectively. It is concluded that the use of gaseous ammonia as the source of alkali seems a possible practical method of using hydrogen peroxide to increase degradability of straws.