Effect Of Ensiling Period On The Proximate Composition And Hydrogen Cyanide Content Of Ensiled Wet Cassava Peels Meal.

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume IX, Issue II, February 2022 | ISSN 2321–2705

Effect Of Ensiling Period On The Proximate Composition And Hydrogen Cyanide Content Of Ensiled Wet Cassava Peels Meal.

Emenike H.I.¹ , Emenalom O.O.², Ogbuewu I.P², Aladi N.O² and Okehie N.U.^2
1Advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicle laboratory Uburu. Ebony State. Nigeria
²Federal University of Technology Owerri Imo State. P.M. B 1526 Owerri. Nigeria

Abstract
Cassava peel is an agro-waste product produced in the processing of whole cassava roots into different food and industrial products in Nigeria. The use of cassava peel as feed for non- ruminant animals is limited by its high crude fibre and hydrocyanic acid contents but low protein content. To improve its nutritional potential as energy source, an experiment was conducted to examine the effect of ensiling periods on the proximate compositions and hydrogen cyanide contents of wet cassava peel meals. Wet cassava peels were ground into meal using an attrition mill and divided into 4 batches. The first batch was sundried immediately after grinding while the second, third and fourth batches were sundried after ensiling in black polythene bags kept under room temperature for 7, 14 and 21 days, respectively. Ensiling significantly (p<0.05) increased the dry matter contents of the meals with the 14 days ensiled meal having the highest value. The un-ensiled and 7days ensiled samples had similar and significantly (p<0-05) higher crude protein values than the 14 and 21 days ensiled samples. The 21 days ensiled sample had lowest crude protein (3.36%) and ether extract (4.44%) values but highest crude fibre (17.10%), ash (20.19%) and NFE (54.09%) values that were significantly(p<0.05) different from other treatment groups. The 14days ensiled sample had the highest calculated ME (2466.86kcal/kg) value that differed significantly (p<0.05) from the other treatment groups. HCN concentration was lowest (p<0.05) in the 21 days ensiled sample (0.20mg/kg). It is concluded that the period of ensiling wet cassava peels meal affected its proximate compositions and HCN contents, and that ensiling for 14 days resulted in higher DM, fat and energy values and should be encouraged.

Keywords; Cassava peels, hydrocyanic acid, ensiling, proximate composition, processing.

Introduction

The poultry industry in most developing countries suffer differing degrees of feed challenges because conventional feedstuffs such as cereal grains, soybean meal and the like are scarce or hard to acquire as a result of high cost. In response, many Nutritionist and Feed manufacturers are focusing on neglected and underutilized resources in an effort to develop non-conventional feed sources and apply them as functional or nutritional ingredients. Several researchers have confirmed the suitability of cassava peels meal as a source of low-cost energy ingredient in poultry diets (Abubakar and Ohiaege, 2011; Bukola, 2013; ILRI, 2018)
Cassava peel is a waste product from the peeling of fresh cassava roots before processing into various products in Nigeria. It constitutes about 5 – 15% of the whole root when peeled mechanically (Aro et al., 2010) and 20 – 35% with hand peeling (Olanbiwoninu and Odunfa, 2012). Available data indicates that about 25 million tons of fresh cassava roots are used for garri, 6 million tons for local food products, 1.5 million tons for production of dried chips and 3.5 million tons are lost to wastage before or during peeling and processing of the tubers ( ILRN, 2017). This implies that about 50 to 150Kg and 200 to 350Kg of cassava peels are produced per ton of cassava roots from mechanical and hand peelings, respectively. The cassava peels so produced will be wasted if adequate measures are not put in place to convert them to animal feedstuff.
According to Tewe, (2004) the use of cassava peel as feed for non- ruminant animals is limited by its high crude fibre and hydrocyanic acid contents which is deleterious to their growth and development. Many processing methods including; sun-drying (Oboh, 2006; Akinfala et al., 2007), parboiling (Salami, 1999), soaking in water and retting (Salami and Odunsi, 2003), fermentation and boiling (Okah et al., 2017; Unigwe et al., 2018), and treatment with yeast and enzymes (Obasi et al., 2018; Dayal et al., 2018) among others have been used to reduce the anti-nutritive factors in cassava peels and enhance its feeding value for livestock and poultry. Of all these processing methods, drying has been found to be more effective with the only setback that, it takes approximately 3 to 5 days for the peels to properly dry, hence it is more feasible and effective during the dry season of the year (Adesehinwa et al., 2011). Tewe and Egbunike (1992) suggested the need for proper technology to produce cassava products of guaranteed quality that will meet the nutritional needs of the fast growing monogastric livestock.

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