Solid state bioconversion of wheat straw into digestible and nutritive ruminant feed by Ganoderma sp. rckk02.

Solid state fermentation (SSF) of wheat straw with Ganoderma sp. rckk02 was carried out for 15 days for improving its digestibility and nutrients. Fungal growth caused a significant (P<0.05) decrease in acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose content till 15th day. In vitro gas production (IVGP) test revealed that 10th day fermented feed possessed higher metabolizable energy (ME: 4.87 MJ/kg), in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD: 334 g/kg) and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs: 1.82 mmol/g Dry Matter). The fermented feed was also evaluated in vivo in goats fed with either untreated wheat straw (T1) or fungal treated straw (T2). Dry matter intake (DMI), digestible crude protein (DCP), total digestible nutrients (TDN) and nitrogen (N) intake were found significantly (P<0.05) increased in T2 group. The study shows that fermentation of wheat straw with Ganoderma sp. rckk02 holds potential in improving its nutritive value.