Ruminal degradable nitrogen for steers fed sugar cane: in situ degradability, ruminal parameters and microbial synthesis efficiency

The objective of this work was to evaluate the ruminal degradable nitrogen (RDN) deficit using as roughage sugar cane supplemented with urea, soybean meal, or corn gluten meal 60 on the microbial synthesis efficiency, in situ dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability. The treatments were: sugar cane, sugar cane with urea, soybean meal or corn gluten meal 60. Eight rumen and duodenum cannulated steers were used and arranged according to two 4 x 4 Latin Squares. The pH and N-NH3 were determined in the ruminal fluid before and 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after feeding. The duodenal flow was estimated by indigestible acid detergent fiber. The microbial efficiency was determined by purine. RDN did not affect the DM and the highest effective degradability was observed in sugar cane supplemented with soybean meal in the NDF degradability. The pH, N-NH3 values were appropriate to the microbial synthesis in all the evaluated diets. The RDN deficiency did not affect the microbial protein synthesis and the dynamics of the liquid phase.