Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on the quality and in vitro gas production of einkorn wheat straw

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation on the quality of einkorn wheat straw (EWS) and in vitro gas production (GP). It was found that AM inoculation of EW seed before sowing caused significant increases in crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) levels of straw, and a (P <0.05) decrease in crude ash (CA), metabolizable energy (ME), and organic matter digestibility (OMD) compared with the straw of non-inoculated EW. The observed difference in the average GP among the between EWS from plants grown from inoculated seed and those from the untreated control was significant at all times between the third and 96th hour. However, when the GP kinetics of the groups was examined after 96 hours’ incubation, only the difference in the gas amount of the easily soluble fractions of feeds was significant. The GP from the slowly fermented part, the GP rate constant and the potential GP of the straws were not affected by the AM inoculation (P >0.05). Thus, inoculation of einkorn wheat with AM altered the nutritional value of the straw produced creating a roughage with decreased value for feeding ruminant livestock. Keywords: artificial rumen, fermentation kinetics, nutrient digestibility