Topics:
Animal Nutrition, Animal Refresher
Improving Straw Quality
The quality of straw can be improved by:
- Alkali Treatment
- Urea Treatment
- Silage making with succulent fodders
- All the above — Correct Answer
Explanation:
Correct Answer: All the above
The quality of straw can be improved by Alkali treatment, Urea treatment, and Silage making with succulent fodders — all three increase the nutritive value of poor-quality roughage.
Methods of Improving Straw Quality
| Method | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alkali treatment | Breaks lignocellulosic bonds → improves digestibility | NaOH, Ca(OH)₂, KOH, NH₄OH; increases cell wall digestibility |
| Urea treatment | Increases DCP (0→4–5%), TDN (40→50%), digestibility (46→70%) | @4% of straw; water:urea = 10:1 |
| Silage making | Fermentation improves palatability and nutrient availability | Mixed with succulent fodder; ratio grass:legume = 3:1 |
Complete List of Roughage Improvement Methods
- Physical: soaking, chopping, grinding, pelleting, irradiation, steam under pressure
- Chemical: Alkali, Ammonia, Acids, Salts, Gases, Oxidising agents
- Physio-chemical: NaOH/Pelleting
- Biological: Cellulase enzymes, white-rot fungi, mushrooms
- Supplementation: Urea + molasses, green fodder, legume straw
Why Other Options Are Wrong
- Each individual option is a valid method of straw quality improvement — "All the above" is the complete answer
📚 About this Topic — Animal Nutrition
This multiple choice question is from Animal Nutrition, Animal Refresher. It has 4 options with a detailed explanation of the correct answer. Practice more MCQs from Animal Nutrition to strengthen your preparation.
