Cordillera Administrative Region

IFUGAO STATE UNIVERSITY

Potia, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

DETAILED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL FORMAT

A. PROPOSAL SUMMARY
1. Program Title

Project Title: UTILIZATION OF THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF NAPIER GRASS AS FEED ON

NATIVE GOAT. PARACELIS, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE.

Study Title: ACCEPTABILITY AND RELATIVE PALATABILITY OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF

NAPIER (Pennesitum purpureum) GIVEN TO NATIVE GOAT (Capra hircus). MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE- PARACELIS CAMPUS, BACARRI, PARACELIS, MOUNTAIN
PROVINCE.

2. Proponent/s: HITLER B. TALAWEC

Name and Signature: Department/Institute/College:
COLLEGE OF ADVANCED EDUCATION
HITLER B. TALAWEC
Designation (if any): Email Address: [email protected]
Cellphone Number (s): 0912-243-6873

3. Cooperating Agency (ies), if any:

Name of Agency (ies) Address (es) POTIA, ALFONSO LISTA,

IFUGAO STATE UNIVERSITY IFUGAO
Name of collaborating agency (ies), if any Address (es) BACARRI, PARACELIS
MOUNTAIN PROVINCE STATE POLYTECHNIC MOUNTAIN PROVINCE
COLLEGE
4. Project Cost:
Requested from the program Other sources, if any Total Cost

5. Research Commodity/ Area (ex. Education, Agriculture, Humanities, etc.)

ANIMAL- GOAT

Project location Duration in months

Nature of Research: (Please __/__ Applied ______ Basic __/___
check) Developmental

B. DESCRIPTION

6.Rationale (Give justification for the study, state the benefits to be derived, e.g., new products,
improved quality of products, conservation of natural resources, utilization of waste products,
acquisition of better understanding of physical and/or social phenomena that would contribute to
development and/or to science in general).

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 The first step in evaluating the utilization of a feed is whether the animal will consume it. Intake

measurement however is influenced by many factors animal variability, forage palatability and

physiologic status of the animal including feed quality, the species of the animal, physiologic status,

energy demand, and even sex cause the voluntary intake of an individual animal on a given diet to vary.

Thus, a growing animal consumes relatively more than a mature one, and a pregnant or lactating female

consumes more (Van Soest, 1994). To measure the preference of animal to given feedstuff,

acceptability and relative palatability test is used. A major problem in evaluating the intake of a food

lies in the reasons for which an animal may refuse the food. It is the result of a summation of many

different factors sensed by the animal in the process of locating and consuming food. Pond et al. (2005)

further discussed that palatability is determined by appearance, odor, taste, texture, temperature, and

other sensory properties of the food.

Ulrich and Seyemendhi (2006) further stated that the ruminants can be divided into two large

groups according to their eating habits: the course-feed eaters and the tender-feed-selecting animals.

Course-feed eaters such as cattle and sheep eat grasses and weeds from the ground, proceeding not very

selectively and ingesting the largest possible amount. The tender-feed-selecting animals include many

gazelle and antelope species. They take up smaller quantities of food, but they therefore seek out the

most nourishing parts of the plant, such as young shoots, small leaves, and blossoms in grass, weeds,

bushes, and trees. The goat is classified between these two groups. What is remarkable is that goats can

adapt to the available food supply with one or the other feeding pattern. The particular grazing and

feeding behavior of the goat can be better understood if we consider the original habitat of the goat, the

mountains. Generally goats prefer leaves of bushes, trees, and weeds plants to grass. The goat liked to

eat a mixture of all these plant types and does not fundamentally reject grass. Napier grass is one of the

most important fodder grasses for ruminants in the tropics, largely due to its high productivity (Moran,

2011).

7. Review of Related Studies (Present status of the proposed study. State what has been done in the
area of research of the study, both locally and abroad. Cite related literature properly using the APA
format).

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 Goat production requires low initial investment and small risks compared to other livestock it is

therefore an attractive undertaking among resource-poor families. In addition, women and children can

raise the animals, making it a sound option to augment the country’s programs on livelihood. Goats

provide livelihood to about 15 million Filipinos across the country. Records from the Philippine

Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD,

2012) showed the number of goats in the Philippines has been increasing consistently.

Moreover, Cheeke (1991) mentioned that forage grasses can be classified as temperate (cool

season), warm season, and tropical. Tropical grasses such as napier grass, guinea grass, and pangola

grass, are adapted to tropical regions only; they are not frost hardy.

Grasses

Grasses are botanically any of the plants of the family Gramineae. In grassland agriculture,

grasses refer to species of Gramineae when grown alone or with legumes (Ensminger, 2002). In both

tropical and temperate regions, there are seasonal peaks of forage production and seasons when little

growth occurs.

Stage of maturity of affects the nutritive value of grasses, according to Ensminger, (2002) many

producers are not aware of the great differences in nutritive value between young, immature pasture and

the same plants when they are mature or even at the usual hay stage. Protein decreases with maturity

and fiber increases with maturity, phosphorus decreases with maturity and vitamin value decreases with

maturity.

Napier Grass

Webster (1920), stated that Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum, is a coarse perennial grass

attaining a height of 5 meters or more if left unchecked. According to Moran (2011), Napier grass is

rich in moisture: DM contents can be as low as 12%, with leaves containing 16% DM and stems only

9% DM. Napier grass is rich in fibre: depending on stage of maturity, NDF concentrations vary from 55

to 75% DM. It is a native of tropical Africa and was first domesticated in Rhodesia in 1909. It is now

grown in the United States, Cuba, Queensland, and possibly elsewhere. In the Philippines it has shown

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itself well adapted to climate and soil, and to be more drought-resistant than any other forage plant

introduced as yet.

After ploughing and harrowing, the cuttings should be planted 16-20 inches apart in rows, with

a space of about 4 feet between the rows. When material is abundant, whole canes may be laid flat in a

shallow furrow and covered with soil. When material is scarce it is better to plant cuttings and push

them diagonally into the soil so that the tops are flush with the surface. The grass should not be allowed

to grow to more than 2-3 feet high before cutting, as it is liable to become woody. Depending upon the

quality of the soil and the rainfall, six to nine cuttings may be made the year after the plants are

established. In places where there is a long dry season planting should be done after the onset of the

rains.

Orodho (2006) cited that harvesting at longer intervals produces higher DM yields but lower

quality forage as protein and ash content, digestibility and leaf-to-stem ratios decline. Leaving 10-15

cm high stubble provides sufficient carbohydrate reserves for subsequent regrowth. Thereafter the grass

should be harvested at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks, at the same height.

Napier grass can be processed into high quality silage and may be ensiled alone (FAO, 2011)

When Napier grass is intended for hay it should be cut at an early stage of maturity as the stems become

too coarse when the plant ages. In Taiwan, elephant grass is used for the production of dehydrated grass

pellets used as a supplementary stock feed (Manidool, personal communication cited by FAO, 2011)

Acceptability

Acceptability is the measure of whether an animal will consume enough of the food to meet its

caloric needs. To determine whether the acceptability of a food changes with time of day and degree to

which a food is appropriate for a given mealtime, preferences will be obtained in the morning. During

each test, one or more food products will be tested for preference/ acceptability and then rated for their

appropriateness in 10 different use situations. Additional tests will be conducted to access any biasing

effect of collecting the appropriateness data in the obtained acceptance rating and the applicability of

appropriateness scaling to conceptual foods. It is concluded that appropriateness ratings can be obtained

in taste test without jeopardizing the viability of preference/ acceptability judgments. In addition,

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appropriateness judgments obtained as part of routine sensory evaluation can provide valuable

information to guide product development and to maximize food utility in the intended used situation

(Ayala et al,. 1990).

8. Objectives
Generally;
This study will provide information to goat raisers on the utilization of the different forms of

Napier grass as feed. It also aims to promote the different forms of the Napier grass by farmers,

especially to those who are looking for acceptable and palatable grass that can be grown as a source of

forage.

This study aims to determine the:

a. Acceptability index of different forms of Napier grass in goats; and,

b. Relative palatability index and feed intake of different forms of Napier grass in goats.

9. Methodology (The methodology should be detailed. State proposed procedures, conceptual

framework and/or methodology to be used in the study. Present research design, questionnaires to be
used, sampling procedures/techniques, etc.).

Experimental Design

A total of 12 goats of 15 to 20 months will be designated to three treatments with four

replications per treatment using the Completely Randomized Design (CRD).

The treatments that will be used in the study are as follows:

T1- Soilage (Fresh Napier grass)

T2- Silages (Fermented Napier grass)

T3- Hay (Dried Napier grass)

Soilage Preparation

Napier grasses will be harvested before flowering stage about 2-3 months. The ideal harvest

regime depends on the cultivar, weather conditions, soil fertility, management practices and livestock

needs. In Kenya, the recommendation is to harvest Napier grass for the first time when it attains a

height of 1-1.2 m, usually 3-4 months after planting (Orodho, 2006). Harvested forages will be air-

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dried for 24 hours prior to chopping. The air-dried Napier grasses will be cut about 1-2 cm long before

they will be fed to individual goat. Fresh Napier grass is will be chopped to prevent animals from

selecting the best parts (Moran, 2011). All feed offered will be weighed before giving to the goats.

Hay Preparation

Napier grasses will be harvested before flowering stage about 1-2 months. Harvested forages

will be chopped into 1-2 cm long prior to drying. The chopped Napier grasses will be sun-dried for

five days before they will be fed to individual goat. Chopping and then wilting in the sun for several

hours reduces moisture, stimulates appetite, facilitates rumination and thus improves forage utilization

(Moran, 2011). All feed offered will be weighed before giving to the goats.

Silage Preparation

Napier grasses will be harvested before flowering stage about 1-2 months. Harvested Napier

grasses will be air-dried for 48 hours. Dried Napier grasses will be chopped into 1-2 centimeters long.

Chopped forage will be thoroughly mixed with cane molasses solution. Five hundred ml molasses

solution will be mixed with 10 kg grass. The cane molasses solution will be made up of 180 ml of cane

molasses mixed for every liter of water. The forage with molasses solution will vacuum pack in a

plastic drums and seal with a packing tape to prevent entrance of air. The silage will be ready for

feeding after 30 fermentation days. The silage will be weighed before being offered to the experimental

animal.

Acceptability Trial

This test will be determined the acceptability of different forms of Napier grass in goats. This

study will be used the single choice selection procedure where goats will not give a choice of diets.

Each of the experimental diets (Napier soilage, Napier silage, and Napier hay) will be fed one at a time

to the goat for three consecutive days for a period of 30 minutes every morning and afternoon. During

the three days, each animal will be given a test feed. Such that at the end of the 3 days trial period each

animal will be offered each of the test feed for 1-3 days.

The treatment diet will be given to each goat at 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 A.M in the morning and 4:00

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P.M. to 4:30 P.M. in the afternoon. For the rest of day, the goats will be fed with combination of tree

leaves (Trichantera, African tulip, Calliandra). The tree leaves will be chopped separately into one to

two inches long prior to mixing them together. One kilogram from each tree leaves species will be

combined to serve as base-feed, that will be given before and after each acceptability test.

Palatability Trial

The palatability index of the different forms of Napier grass in goat will be determined using the

‘cafeteria style’ wherein the individual goat will be given the different treatment diets (Napier soilage,

Napier silage and Napier hay) simultaneously. Initially same amount of the three test diet will be given

to goats giving them the option to choose which test diet to eat.

The trial will compose of two phases: a seven-day pre-experimental phase and another seven-

day experimental period. The pre-experimental phase will be served to familiarize to each goat the

different test diets. The different test diets will be offered ad libitum to prevent the goats from being

force to eat less palatable diet because the more palatable form will consume.

On the seven-day experimental period, one kilogram from each treatment diets will initially

offer to each goat simultaneously every 7:00 A.M. in the morning. The test diets in the feeding trough

will be monitored every hour, such that whenever approximately 75% of each treatment diet is

consume, one kilogram of the same treatment diet will be given. Water will be available at all times. No

feed will be provided to the goats until 7:00 o’clock in the morning of the following day. Fifty grams

sample from each treatment feed offer will be collected and use for determining nutrient composition.

Preparation of Pen

The pen will be prepared a couple of months before the arrival of the experimental animals

following the recommendation of The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural

Resources Research and Development on floor space requirement of sheep and goat. A floor-type pen

will be used for the experiment. All compartments including the feeder and watering troughs will be

cleaned and disinfected one week before the arrival of the experimental animals to diminish the

prevalence of infections.

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Care and Management

The experimental animals will be reared in (complete confinement) for accurate monitoring of

possible feed left overs and to avoid alteration of experimental results. Water will be provided to the

goats at all time.

The first week of the feeding trial will be a shifting period wherein hay and silage will be

offered gradually. After the shifting period, 1 kg amount of treatment diets will be provided to the

animals. Each treatment diet will be offered twice a day, 1 kg in the morning and another 1 kg in the

afternoon. Leftovers will be recorded daily. To monitor feed consumption, treatment diets will be

weighed before they will be given to the experimental animal.

All treatments will be subjected to the same management practices except for the type of diet

that will be given to them. Sanitation and related management practices will be strictly implemented.

Data to be Gathered

1. Amount of feed offered daily (g). The amount of each test diet that will be given daily to the

experimental animal.

2. Amount of feed leftover (g). The amount of test diet which will not be consumed by the

experimental animals.

3. Weight of feed samples (g). The weight before and after drying will be used to compute for

the dry matter content.

4. Dry matter content of feed (g). The weight of dry feed sample will be determined by drying

the feed sample at 105oC for 12-15 hours.

Data to be Computed

1. Percent in dry matter (DM) in Feed. The amount of dry matter in the test diet will be

computed as:

% Dry Matter = Weight of Feed Sample after Drying x 100

Weight of Feed Sample before Drying

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 2. Total feed intake, as fresh basis. This will be obtained by getting the difference between the

amount of feed offered and feed refused by each experimental animal.

3. Daily feed intake, as fresh basis. The daily feed intake will be calculated as:

Daily Feed Intake = Total Feed Intake

Duration of Test

4. Daily feed intake, as dry matter basis. This will be computed by multiplying the daily feed

intake, fresh basis of each dry matter contents of the diet that will be consumed.

5. Relative acceptability index. This will be calculated as:

Acceptability Index = Total Amount of Feed Consumed x 100

Total Amount of Feed Offered

6. Relative palatability index. This will be calculated as:

Relative Palatability Index = Daily Feed Intake, fresh basis x 100
Highest Daily Feed Intake

10. Expected output (e.g. technical paper, method, product, others)

a. improve daily gain in weight
b. produce the quality of meat aligned from market demands
c. develop low cost feeds but so far palatable for goat.

11. Intended users of findings and outputs

a. goat and sheep producers
b. stakeholders intending to put up this kind of enterprise
c. researchers and extensionist in livestock productivity.

12. Impacts (a compelling effect of the project/ study upon the intended users or society as a whole).
a. fast growing animal with quality meat that meet market demand preference.
b. low cost feeds but palatable for goat.
c. establish alternative feeds and feeding system for goat fit during rainy and extreme hot condition

C. PLAN OF WORK
13. Schedule of activities (State estimated time to be spent for the study in terms of months for the
various phases of the study by following the format below):
Phase Description of Duration in months Expected output
activity

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14. Financial plan (present a summary of the financial plan for the study using the format below. If the
study is to last for more than 1 year, separate plan for each year or a fraction thereof should be
presented. The plan should include, if any, the type and amount of counterpart that the proponent or any
other agency would give for the study.)
Detailed Line-Item Budget (For 1 Year)
Total Amount Requested from the Other sources
program

Total Cost of Study

D. ENDORSEMENTS
To be filled up by the proponent
Submitted by:
HITLER B. TALAWEC STUDENT RESEARCHER
Proponent’s Name and Signature Designation

CAF/POTIA CAMPUS __________________________

Unit/Department/College Date
To be filled up by the immediate supervisor
Endorsed by:

GERALD A. NGISLAWAN, Ph.D. ADVISER/ CAF

Supervisor’s Name and Signature Designation
Unit/Department/College ____________________________
Date
To be filled up by the College Dean or Research Coordinator
Endorsed by:
____________________________ ______________________________
Name and Signature Designation
____________________________ _____________________________
Unit Date
To be filled up at the Office of the Director for Research and Development
Received by:
______________________________ ____________________________
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Director for Research & Development Date

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