Assessment of in vitro rumen degradability of tomato greenhouse pruning residues in buffalo and cattle

This study evaluates the in vitro rumen degradability features of tomato greenhouse pruning residues in buffaloes and cows. The rising greenhouse production has prompted an examination of tomato pruning debris as a potential alternative roughage source for animal feed. Consequently, both the mitigation of economic losses and the promotion of environmental sustainability have been pursued. The study analysed tomato greenhouse pruning waste chemically, determining the following contents: dry matter (DM; 91.68%), crude protein (CP; 15.60%), ash (A; 17.80%), crude fat (CF; 3.77%), and neutral detergent fibre (NDF; 48.22%). The ruminal digestibility parameters of the substance were assessed utilising the Ankom DaisyII in vitro incubation system. İn vitro digestibility assessments utilising buffalo and cow rumen fluids evaluated the digestibility parameters. The results indicated that the pruning wastes from the tomato greenhouse exhibited high dry matter and appropriate fibre content, while the levels of crude protein and crude fat were deemed acceptable. The in vitro digestibility data indicated that buffaloes had a statistically significant superior efficiency in digesting crude protein and crude fat compared to cows, with values of 31.58% and 25.25% (p<0.01) for crude protein, and 23.41% and 14.33% (p<0.05) for crude fat, respectively. In conclusion, tomato greenhouse pruning residues can serve as an alternative source of roughage in ruminant nutrition. Particularly in buffaloes, integrating these waste materials into feeding regimens might diminish feed expenses and facilitate the utilisation of agricultural byproducts.