Effect of cassava meal and carbohydrase supplementation on energy concentration, nutrient and fiber digestibilities and growth performance of nursery pigs

Two studies were conducted to determine the effect of cassava meal and carbohydrase supplementation on energy concentration, nutrient and fiber digestibilities, and growth performance of nursery pigs. In Study 1, 20 weanling barrows (8.2 +- 0.07 kg; PIC L337 x C24) were randomly alloted to 4 dietary treatments with 5 replicate pigs per diet. A corn-soybean meal basal diet and 3 diets containing 60% of the basal diet with 40% (as-fed basis) cassava meal with 0, 60 mg/kg of multi-enzyme containing endo-1, 4xylanase and endo-1, 3(4) betha-glucanase (NSPase; Ravabio Advance, Adisseo, France) and 110 mg/kg of a multi-enzyme containing endo-1, 4-xylanase, endo-1, 3 (4)-betha-glucanase and a 6-phytase (NSPase + Phytase; Rovabio P MAX, Adisseo, France), respectively. Pigs were individually housed in metabolism crates that allowed for the total, but separate, collection of urine and fecal materials from each pig. The DE and ME concentration of cassava meal (DM basis) was 3,606 and 3,496 kcal/kg, respectively. Enzyme supplementation did not improve DE and ME of cassava meal. The cassava meal diet had lower (P0.01) ATTD of CP, NDF and ADF and greater (P0.01) ATTD of Ca compared with corn-soy basal diet; however, supplementation with NSPase increased (P0.01) ATTD of CP. In Study 2, a total of 378 nursery pigs (8.60 +- 1.98 kg; PIC L337 x C24) were randomly alloted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 21 pigs per replicate. The first diet was a cor-soy diet and the next 2 diets contained 20% cassava meal with 0 or 200 mg/kg of a carbohydrase (Rovabio Advance 25%, Adisseo, France). Inclusion of 20% cassava meal or carbohydrase supplementation in nursery pig diets did not affect ADG, ADFI, F/G, caloric efficiency, and economic returns. Pigs fed diets with cassava meal had lower (P0.02) diarrhea scores compared with those fed diets without cassava meal. In conclusion, cassava meal may be used as an alternative energy source in nursery pig diets without compromising growth performance and profitability. Carbohydrase supplementation did not have any effect on the energy value of cassava meal but improved digestibility of other nutrients.