GAMAL (Gliricidia sepium) INCREASED RUMEN MICROORGANISM POPULATION OF BALI CATTLE

Microbial activity in the rumen is a superiority of ruminants, which causes ruminants to have the ability to convert low-quality feed protein into high-quality microbial protein. Microbial protein can contribute 70-80% of amino acid requirements of ruminants. Therefore, nutrition experts try to maximize microbial protein synthesis by maximizing the use of Rumen Degradable Protein (RDP).

One forage containing protein as RDP is gamal (Gliricidia sepium). Gamal leaves have long been known as animal feed. Gamal is a sourch of RDP which in rumen fermentation produces N-NH3. As the number of gamal increases, the use of N-NH3 as a source of nitrogen for bacterial growth is also increasing. Gamal contain 4000-5000 kcal gross energy/kg, 18-30% crude protein, 13-30 crude fiber and 4-8% fat and 77.5% total digestible nutrient (TDN). Dry matter degradability and nitrogen degradability of gamal are very high at 73.8% and 88.7% respectively. To get maximum growth, the proportion of gamal should not exceed 50% in feed.

Suryani's research results (2015), show that increasing the use of gamal as a source of RDP in ration containing rice straw can increase consumption and nitrogen retention and increase the population of proteolytic  bacteria. Addition of gamal to feed using rice straw aims to provide  a source of nitrogen for the life of microorganisms. Because ruminants are very dependent in rumen microorganisms to supply enzymes that are able to digest crude fiber in rice straw.

Nitrogen consumption increases with increasing gamal in the ration. This is because giving of gamal will increase the palatability of ration. Giving 30% gamal on the fattening Bali cattle ration increased nitrogen consumption to 137.8 g/day compared to administering 15% gamal which resulted in nitrogen consumption 120.59 g/day. In addition, gamal protein is a substrate to increase bacterial activity in the rumen. Evidenced by the administration of 30% gamal markedly (P<0.05) increase proteolytic bacterial population 24.65%; amylolytic 5.38%; and cellulolytic 23.53% compared to 15% gamal administration in the ration. An increase in bacterial population, has an impact on increasing the digestibility of dry matter and organic matter in ration. Increased digestibility of rations means live stock needs for nutrient are met  so that Bali cattle became efficient at changing feed into weight gain. This fact is proven by the use of 30% gamal in rations increasing the average daily weight gain per day by 0.88 kg compared to the use of  15% gamal in ration only resulting in weight gain of 0.57 kg/day.