| The major purpose of this investigation was to improve the ruminant nutritional value of poor quality plant materials by chemical treatments. This improvement was brought about by treating the plant materials, which included corn stover and wheat straw, with NH(,3) gas or with Cl(,2) gas followed by NH(,3) gas. The extra nitrogen added by these treatments can be used by ruminants to boost the crude protein content of rations deficient in nitrogen.; Mature corn stover was ground in a Wiley mill and water was added until the level of dry matter was approximately 25 percent. The wet stover was treated with Cl(,2) gas in a plastic bag, and the chlorinated stover was then similarly treated with NH(,3) gas. The percentages of crude protein in untreated stover, chlorinated stover, ammoniated stover and chlorinated, ammoniated stover were 4.41, 5.06, 12.59 and 39.47, respectively. Distillation with M(,g)O revealed that 0, 24.3 and 70.4 percent of the total crude protein in untreated stover, ammoniated stover and chlorinated, ammoniated stover, respectively, was present as free NH(,3).; Rumen and plasma NH(,3) levels in sheep were variable when these animals consumed diets containing chlorinated, ammoniated corn stover.; The crude protein content of poor quality plant materials can be greatly increased by treating them with Cl(,2) gas followed by NH(,3) gas. This process, and other ammoniation processes, appear to be efficient methods to increase the ruminant nutritional value of these low crude protein plant products. |
