Process for enhancing the digestibility of straw and other lignocellulosic materials for ruminants, using ozone treatment

摘要

The process consists in forcing an ozone-containing gas through a bed of straw or ground, dry lignocellulosic material for a sufficient period so that between 10 and 40 grammes of ozone, preferably about 25 g, per kilogram of dry straw are absorbed. Preferably, a nitrogenous compound is added to the straw in order to compensate for the nitrogen deficiency of the straw. The digestibility value of the straw increases, by virtue of this treatment, from about 39% to about 50%, thereby placing the treated straw between selected hay and natural meadow hay. By comparison, the same level of ozonisation of a straw moistened to 5 g of water per gramme takes the digestibility value to around 43%, which is less than that for natural meadow hay. It should be noted that the digestibility value of dry or moistened straw does not increase for ozonisation levels greater than 25-30 g per kilogram of dry straw.