Alaa D. Salman K. M. El ShargiDirectorate General of Agriculture & Livestock Research

Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Sultanate of Oman

Introduction One of the main factors limiting ruminant

productivity in Oman is the shortage of good feed resources, which can meet their nutrient requirements.

This is mainly due to the deterioration of the rangelands and shortage of green forages due to scarcity of water

The general trend in Oman and in the region is the declining of natural pasture contribution (43 %) to the total feed resources for ruminants.

The high cost of Concentrate Feeds prohibits their wide scale use by animals’ owners especially by small farmers.

Introduction At present the Oman imports feed Raw Materials to

be manufactured Locally from many countries to fillthe Feed Gap between Animals Requirement and theavailability of feed resources in Oman.

Although considerable amounts of Crops Residues andAgro-Industrial by-products are available in Oman,but these by-products are not utilized or efficientlyutilized in animals feeding

Opportunity in Oman exists to fill part of the gapbetween the supply of and the demand for the feedresources through efficient utilization of these by-products.

Inventory of locally available by-products in Oman

The inventory of locally available by-products in Omanhas been conducted to estimate the actual byproductswhich have the potential to be utilized in ruminantsfeeding.

Survey conducted 2013 to identify the agricultural cropresidues and agro-industrial by products potentiallysuitable as animal feed in Oman.

Item Quantity (1000 tons)I. Crop residues Wheat straw 2.126Barley straw 2.871Corn stalk 40.245Others 11.153Vegetable Crop residues 44.096Banana Crop Residues 24.633Coconut Fruits By-products 3.500Pruning Branches of Ornamental Trees 10.000Date frond leaves 150.000II. Agro-Industrial by-productWheat bran 120Dates Processing Residues 2.0Inferior Dates 80.00

Dried Sardines Fish 25.000Total 515.624

Inventory Crop residues and agro-industrial by-products in Oman

Items Extraction Tate

Date Frond Leaves 20 Kg/ Fruiting Dates Palm Tree

Cull Dates 30% of total Dates Production

Dates palm Pedicels without Fruit

2% of total Dates Fruit Production

Dates Stone 15% of total Dates Production

Dates Pulp 30 % of dates process for producing Dates Syrup (Dibis) and Vinegar

Inventory of Dates Palm Trees Byproducts

Utilization of Agro-Industrial By-Products

Considerable amount of agro-industrial by-products are available in Oman.

But these by-products have not efficiently utilized in animal feeding.

Opportunity in Oman exists to fill part of the gap between the supply of and the demand for the feed resources through efficient utilization of these by-products.

Item1000 (MT)

Utilization(%)

Utilization Methods

I. Crop residues Wheat straw 2.126 100 % Grazing, Hand FedBarley straw 2.871 100 % Grazing, Hand FedCorn stalk 40.245 100% Hand FedOthers 11.153 100% Hand FedVegetable Crop residues 44.096 25% Grazing,Banana Crop Residues 24.633 40% Hand FedCoconut Fruits By-products 3.500 Not Utilize Pruning Ornamental Trees 10.000 Not UtilizeDate frond leaves 150.000 PartiallyII. Agro-Industrial by-productWheat bran 120 100% Feed ManufacturingDates Processing Residues 2.0 Not UtilizeInferior Dates 80.00 50 % Direct FeedingDried Sardines Fish

25.000 Not

EfficientlyDirect Feeding

Current Utilization of Crop Residues and Agro- Industrial Byproducts

Nutritive Value of Crop Residues and Agro-Industrial By-Products During the past decades several studies were

conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of thenutritional value of the of Crop Residues and Agro-Industrial By-Products and Others Feed Resourcesavailable in Oman.

Omani Experience in The Utilization Dates Palm Byproducts and Dry Sardines Fish as Alternative Feed is considered as the most comprehensive study conducted in the region.

Items DM%

CP %

EE %

CF%

Ash%

ME/Kg DM)

MJ)

Barley Straw 93 4.0 1.8 44.5 8.5 6.3

Wheat Straw 94 3.5 1.5 42.4 6.4 6.0

Maize Stalks 85 5.0 1.3 35 7.0 6.5

Sorghum Stalks 93 4.5 1.26 34.6 8.26 6.7

The Nutritive Cereal Straw

Items DM%

CP%

EE%

CF%

Ash%

NFE%

(ME)

MJ/Kg DM

Wheat Bran 89 14 4.5 14 7 60.5 10.0

Inferior Whole Dates 84.4 4.01 1.6 5.7 2.6 86.1 13.30

Date Pulp 85 5 2 12.4 3.2 77.4 11.0

Date Stone 89.5 6.9 8.5 20 1.9 62.7 10.5

Coconut Fruits By-products

35 2.9 7.5 38.5 2.4 48.7 11.0

Banana Leaves 30 6.56 4.2 22.6 14 52.64 10.6

Dried Sardines Fish 87 52.4 11.5 0 25 10.6 11.3

Agro-Industrial By-Products

Analysis Whole

DFL

Leaves

(Leaflet)

Midrib

(Rachis)

Base

(Karab)

Pedicels

Dry Matter 89.0 90.4 88.4 84.4 93.1

Crude Protein 1.8 4.6 1.56 1.06 1.26

Ether Extract 1.5 4.32 3.0 2.3 2.12

NDF 75.8 67.4 82.6 79.3 68.22

ADF 52.6 51.4 91.6 55.4 47.53Cellulose 39.7 31.9 52.1 34.9 36.32

Himcellulose 23.1 15.9 21.0 23.7 20.69

Lignin 12.0 87.4 15.8 20.2 10.21

Ash 9.3 14.3 5.2 7.5 5.54

Gross Energy

(MJ/kg DM)

18.6 19.8 18.4 18.3 18.5

Analysis of Parts of Date Frond leaves and Pedicels

Technical Options for Enhancing Nutrient Availability from Crop Residues During the Past Four Decades Several Technical Option has

Been Developed Enhancing Nutrient Availability from Crop Residues

Physical treatment - Chopping- Grinding - Pelleting

Excess offering of crop residues-Selective Consumption - Small Ruminants (Sheep and Goats)

Chemical Treatment -Urea Treatment

Supplementation -Feed Blocks

Urea-Treated Straw

Limiting utilization of cereal straws as animal feed are low intake and low digestibility.

Since the mid 1970's there has been much research and development into finding ways of alleviating these deficiencies.

Straw upgrading techniques using treatment with chemicals, sodium hydroxide or ammonia in temperate countries and urea-ammonia in tropical countries.

Urea was used as a source of ammonia in treating straw and that treatment improved crude protein content (93-188 %), digestibility (15-40 %) and intakes (10-42 %).

14

Urea-Treated Straw Technique 5 kg urea dissolved in 50 L of

water to be sprinkled over 100kg of straw.

Small or large stacks, clamps and pits of 250 - 2000 kg straw can be used in storing of treated straw.

The urea solution should be spread uniformly on straw.

Plastic sheets, empty feedbags and mud can be used to cover the stacks.

Duration of treatment should be 2-3 weeks during summer and 4-5 weeks during winter.

Analysis

Untreated Treated Rhodes Grass

Dry Matter 96.7 87.6 91.3

Crude Protein 3.34 8.5 -13 7.6

Ether Extract 3.27 3.37 0.9

NDF 73.9 71.2 74.4

ADF 47.8 51.8 46.7Cellulose 35.6 33.8 35.5

Himcellulose 26.0 19.4 27.7

Lignin 10.7 9.42 7.7

Ash 14.6 12.4 9.4

Gross Energy 18.6 19.8 18.07

Feeding Value of Untreated and Urea treated DFL in Comparison of Rhodes Grass

Item Roughage TypesRhodes grass hay

DFL Urea

treated

DFLDS + Urea

DFLuntreated

Initial body weight ( BW ) Kg 22.4 22.4 22.4 22.5Final ( BW) , Kg 24.2 24.0 23.2 22.9Live weight gain ( g / day ) 26a 23 a 11 a,b 6 b

Roughage DM-intake( g /day) 256 176 164 163Concentrate DM-intake( g /day)

455 455 455 455

Total DM-intake ( g / day ) 711 a 631 b 619 c 618 c

Concentrate : Roughage ratio %

64:36 72:28 74:26 74:26

ME ( MJ / day ) 7.4 6.0 6.0 6.0

Effect Of Type Of Roughage onIntake and Performance Of Goats

Practical constraints for the development of urea treatment

The technology is well established, but has not been adopted on a large scale by Animals owners.

Farmers considered treatment as laborious work. Some animal owners prefer to have finished freed products

other feed products that to make by themselves (good example is the uptake of feed blocks technology).

Animal owners generally do not see the economics of feeding of urea treated straw when the response is difficult to measure and often not clearly defined by the extension service (poor delivery systems of technologies)

Efforts are Needed to Improve the Uptake of Technology

By-Products Feed Supplement

One of technical options was the utilization of agro-industrial by-products as alternative feed supplement for the small ruminants.

The most appropriate technical options in enabling the optimizing of conventional feed resources and efficient utilization of agro-industrial by-products as alternative feeds is the feed blocks technology.

Feed Blocks Technology Feed blocks are a solidified blend

of ingredients based on use of a high level of agro-industrial by-products.

Originated: South Africa →

Australia → UK.FAO Promoted MFB in More

than 60 Countries Late Eighties ICARDA’S

Mashreq Project Revived Interest In FBT in the Region.

ICARDA’S M/M Project Implemented Strategy to Disseminate FBT Among Sheep Owners WANA Region.

Why Feed Blocks Feed Blocks is the most efficient, practical and economical

way of utilization Agro-Industrial by-products as alternative feed supplements for ruminants.

Optimizing utilization of locally available crop residues and agricultural by-products.

• Practical, Economical Way of Utilizing High Moisture By-Products (Date pulp, Grape pomace, Tomato pomace etc;)

It is the most efficient and safe method of using urea as nitrogen supplement (source of rumen degradable protein) for ruminants because the blocks are consumed in frequent small meals, which makes the nutrients available continually.

• Optimizes the use of conventional by-products (e.g., wheat bran).

• Easy in Manufacturing, Handling, Transport and Feeding.• Farmers Prefer to be Given a Readily Usable Package of

Technology. Cost-Effective Technology Adapted to Local Condition.

New methodology in feed blocks making (formulation, equipment and manufacturing procedure) has been developed in Oman:

Feed Blocks Manufacturing Equipment Were Manufactured Locally at Local Artisan Under The Supervision Of Omani National Team.

Pan Mixer (200kg/Batch)Heavy-Duty Hydraulic Press (100MT)

Feed Blocks ManufacturingEquipment

Pan Mixer

Pan Mixer

The Pan Mixer with capacity of 150-200 Kg per batch.

Pan mixer gives excellent homogeneous mixture and is more efficient than any other mixer .

The pan mixer does not only mixing the ingredients, but also beats and compresses the ingredients against the wall of the mixer.

This smearing action results in better mixing of the ingredients, blocks of higher density, compactness and hardness resulted.

The mixer can be operated continuously during the production operation because it contains two inlets for input raw ingredients and the output for the mixed ingredients.

Heavy-Duty Hydraulic Press100 MT

Heavy-Duty Hydraulic Press100 MT

This new press was designed to improve feed blocks compactness by applying more pressure.

Four feed blocks can be pressed by at each time.

The feed blocks produced by this methodology were top quality with regard to hardness and compactness.

Using this methodology will also save manpower by 50 %. This included mechanization of moulding, pressing and demoulding procedures instead of manual procedure.

Heavy-Duty Hydraulic Press

Using mechanical heavy duty hydraulic press will facilitate the use of high levels of high moisture by-products and reduce levels of binders.

This may result high consumption feed blocks (HCFB).

This type of feed blocks will be accelerated the adoption

of the technology. Animal’s owners have great

interest in replacing barley grain and concentrate feed with other cheaper feed resources

Feed Blocks Formulation Different formulae of feed blocks

were produced. These formulae were depend on

mainly on local dates palm byproducts( Inferior whole dates, dry sardines fish, Dibis, ground date frond leaves and local wheat bran.

Urea was used as source of nitrogen and preserver.

The main binders used were bentonite clay, quick lime. Calcium sulfate (CaSo4) was included in these formulae as sources of sulfur which is needed for ruminants

Ingredients 1 2 3 4 5 6Inferior Dates 25 25 25 25 28 25Dry Sardine Fish 5 5 7 8 8 8Wheat Bran 42 37 37 34 36 34

Ground Dates Frond 5 5 0 0 0 0

Whole barley Grains 5 5 5 5 5 5

Dibis 0 0 5 5 0 5Urea 3 4 4 4 4 4CaSo4(Plaster of Paris) 2 2 5 2 2 2Bentonite Clay 8 12 7 6 4 6

Quick Lime 0 0 0 6 8 6Salt 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8Minerals+ Vitamins 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Feed blocks formulae produced and tested for Hardness and Compactness

Manufactured Feed Blocks

Characteristic of The Produced Feed Blocks

The produced feed blocks were tested for Compactness and hardness.

The feed blocks produce by the heavy-duty hydraulic press have excellent compactness and this will facilitate handling of feed blocks and no need for metallic or wood discs are used in old method for the movement of feed blocks to the drying areas.

Using high pressure mechanical hydraulic press will result low moisture feed blocks and this may have significant impact on handling and shorting the drying period.

The feed blocks were introduced to the local Omani goats at Rumis Research Station to test their palatability.

The palatability of the these feed blocks was considerably high and this good indicter for adoption of feed blocks by animals owners.

Easy Handling of Produced Feed Blocks

High Palatable Feed Blocks

Evaluation of Feed Blocks as Supplementary Feed for Local Small Ruminants Omani

Breeds Research Works in Progress at Animals ResearchCenter in Evaluation FB as Supplementary Feedduring different stages of production.

Mating Lactation Growth Fattening

The Effect of Using Feed Blocks as Protein Supplement on the Reproductive Performance

of the Local Omani Goats

Objectives

The effect of Feed Blocks supplementation on the Reproductive Performance of Jabali and Sahrawi Does.

To measure the Palatability of Feed Blocks by local Goats.

Feed blocks is a top quality supplement, because they are good source

Protein ( CP 20-25 %) ME (8.5-10 MJ/kg DM) Crude Fiber (8-14 %) Minerals especially calcium, phosphor and micro-

minerals (Zn, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu)

The Nutritive Value of Feed Blocks

Ingredients %Inferior Dates 25

Dry Sardine Fish 8

Wheat Bran 34

Whole barley Grains 5

Dibis 5

Urea 4

CaSo4(Plaster of Paris) 2

Bentonite Clay 6

Quick Lime 6

Salt 4.8

Minerals+ Vitamins 0.2

Feed Blocks Formula

Nutrient %Dry Matter 85Crude Protein 23.4Crude Fiber 9.04Ether Exract 1.85Ash 12ME (MJ/kg DM) 9.7Calcium 1.32Phosphor 0.62

Chemical Analysis

Breeds Jabali Sahrawi

Groups Control FBSupp

Control FB Supp

Experiment Period 60 60 60 60

No. of Does 15 28 15 28

Initial Does wt. (kg/does) 32.77 32.86 30.41 29.17

Final Does wt. (kg/does) 34.95 37.04 32.06 32.61

Weight Gain (Kg/does) 2.18 4.18 1.65 3.44

FB intake (g/doe/d) - 388 - 327

Concentrate Intake 350 350 350 350

Preliminary Results Feed Block Intake and Weight Gain of Local Omani Goat Breeds

Dissemination of Feed Blocks Technology More than 8000 Feed Blocks has been produced until

November 2015.

Several activities were conducted in order to promote Feed Blocks Technology in Oman.

Field day conducted at Jabal Alkder region Feed Blocks were presented to animals owners during the field day.

Extension Leaflet on Using Feed Blocks as Supplementary for small ruminants was distributed to animals’ owners.

1000 Feed Blocks were distributed to animals’ owners in Jabal Alkder to be tested in their animals and to get farmers’ feedbacks on the new feed.

Dissemination of Feed Blocks Technology

Two groups of Agriculture Extensors and animals’ owners from A'Dakhiliyah Governorate visited the Feed Blocks unit at Rumais station to learn the methods of manufacturing and feeding of Feed Blocks.

200 Feed Blocks were distributed to the two groups to be tested at farmers’ level.

The animal’s owners’ perceptions are very high for the new feed and there is good demand for feed blocks to be as alternative feed supplement. Works on Progress on the Development project for the dissemination and adaption of feed blocks technology in Oman at national scale level.

Distribution of Feed Blocks to Animals Owners at Jabal Alkder

Prospect of Feed blocks as Alternative Feeds in Oman

There is a good prospect for feed blocks technology to Used as Alternative Feeds in Oman

Due to availability of considerable amounts of dates palm byproducts and large numbers of small ruminants which depend on grazing rangeland and costly imported feeds.

Providing alternative cheap source of feed, it will relieves pressure on natural grazing resources, helping to combat degradation of rangelands and the loss of biodiversity from overgrazing

Reducing Feed Cost. Feed blocks technology can have a significant impact on the

environmental issues and may play a major role in the development of new environment-friendly feeding strategies for small ruminants in the region.

There is a good opportunity to develop an integrated approach to the, control of internal parasites in small ruminants through the use of feed blocks enriched with medicinal plants and herbs available locally in the region

New Approach in Feed Blocks Technology The Use of Medicated Feed Blocks Enriched with Medicinal Plants

and Tree Leaves High in Condensed tannins (CT) as Anthelminticefor Small Ruminants.

Most of commercial synthetics Anthelmintices used for controlling of internal parasites in the livestock are imported.

The way of dosing animals with the drugs is costly and laborious works. Recent information available in the literature indicated that internal

parasites might develop resistance to some commercial synthetics anthelmintices, due to long term and continuous drug application.

Oman is characterize with existence of wide diversity of natural medicinal plants, and also long tradition of ethno-medicine.

Availability of Tree Leaves High in Condensed tannins (CT) such as Mesquite (Prosopis Juliflora), Conocarpus Trees and Acacia.

There is a good opportunity to develop an integrated approach to the control of internal parasites in small ruminants through the use of FB enriched with medicinal plants and herbs available locally in the region.

Thank You