Intake and nutritive value of some salt-tolerant fodder grasses for sheep under saline conditions of South Sinai, Egypt

This study aimed to evaluate the palatability and the nutritional values of three cultivated salt-tolerant grasses (Sudan grass, Pear Millet and Sorghum grass) irrigated with two levels of water salinity (level 1, L1, 4000 ppm and level 2, L2, 7000 ppm total salts). Six groups with equal numbers of 18 adult Barki rams were offered one of the three grasses for each group. A palatability trial followed by a digestibility trial was conducted to study performance of sheep on various grasses. Fodder production for all grasses of L1 was greater than those of L2. Grasses irrigated with L1 and L2 water salinity have good nutritional value for sheep as it contained enough crude protein with low contents of acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin. The voluntary feed intakes of the grasses were not negatively affected by the level of water salinity. Digestibility of all nutrients varied and was not negatively affected by levels of water salinity. Digestion of dry matter, crude fiber and nitrogen free extracts was higher for animals of L1 compared to those of L2. Grasses irrigated by L2 attained significant higher digestible crude protein values than those irrigated by L1. Regardless of plant species, animals fed the L2 grasses retained around 38% more nitrogen than those fed L1 ones. Sheep fed the three grasses irrigated with L2, generally, retained various amounts of copper, zinc and cobalt, on the other hands; they should be supplemented with the trace elements when animals are fed on grasses irrigated with L1. The three salt-tolerant grass species are nutritious for small ruminants and could be used successfully and safely as good quality summer fodders to solve the problems of feed shortage during summer and autumn seasons and, also, to increase the economical value of the marginal saline resources in Egypt.