THE LEVEL OF DWARF ELEPHANT GRASS (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott) AS THE SUBTITUTE OF INDIGENOUS FORAGES FOR GOAT-S FEED IN LIMESTONE MOUNTAIN AREA
Doso Sarwanto, Sari Eko Tuswati and Sulistyaningtyas
Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Wijayakusuma University, Purwokerto, 53152, Indonesia
Abstract
The negative effect of limestone mining is the formation of open field which caused the reduction of diversity level and the productivity of indigenous forages. The open field that was used as a limestone mining can be revegetated through the introduction of Dwarf Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott). We need a further study about the distribution level of the introduction result of dwarf elephant grass as the substitute of indigenous goat forages in limestone area. The research method used in this research is experimental in vivo using Completed Random Sampling. The materials used in this study are 16 local male goats from limestone area weighed about 25,8 kg ± 1,66. The treatment consists of 4 dwarf elephant grass-s distribution levels as the substitute of indigenous forages, i.e. 0, 25%, 50% and 75% with 4 repetitions. The parameter consists of feed intake and body weight gain. This research is located in Gombong-s limestone mountain area in Central Java, Indonesia. The result of this research shows that the distribution dwarf elephant grass as the substitute of indigenous goat forages until 75% has non significant (P>0,05) of feed intake and body weight gain. Meanwhile, if we reviewed from the tendency of body weight gain, the distribution of dwarf elephant grass as the substitute of indigenous goat forages should only reach 25%.
Keywords: dwarf elephant grass, indigenous forages, goat, limestone mountain
Topic: Feeds, feeding, and animal nutrition