Project properties
Title Can reeds be a good ruminant feed after a fungal treatment
Group Animal Nutrition Group
Project type thesis
Credits 36
Supervisor(s) J.W. Cone
Examiner(s) J.W. Cone
Contact info john.cone@wur.nl
Begin date 2019/09/01
End date 2020/03/01
Description Biomass is abundantly available, but normally not used to feed ruminants. The main limitation to feed agricultural by-products and waste is the high content of lignin in the cell walls. When lignin is degraded, the cellulose and hemicellulose in the cell walls can be used by the microorganisms in the rumen.
Some species of fungi are able to degrade lignin without attacking the valuable cellulose and hemicellulose.
The practical work in this project will be the incubation of reeds with 2 species of edible fungi, analyse the chemical composition before and after the fungal treatment and determine the in vitro rumen degradability, using the gas production technique.
Used skills
Requirements Good laboratory skills are required. This project will be a cooperation between the Animal Nutrition group and the Mushroom Research group (Plant Breeding)