Palm Kernel Cake Fermented With Corticoid Fungus for Broiler Diets

Indonesia is one of the leading countries amongst the palm oil producers around the world. The continued plantation of palm tree has resulted in palm kernel cake formation. According to reports in literature it was reported that palm kernel cake can be used to replace 10% or 40% of soybean meal in the broiler ration¹.

Palm kernel cake is low in its quality content therefore it must be processed using advanced techniques². Its poor quality is because of an enzyme present in them that is β-mannan and the broilers don’t possess the ability to break it down in their digestive tracts. In order to improve the biotechnological fermentation, palm kernel oil must be processed before hand with the help of cellulolytic and mannanolytic fungi which in turn will reduce the crude fiber and mannan contents³.

Corticoid Fungus is cellulolytic fungi that can be used for increasing the nutrient content and quality of the fermented palm kernel cake by fermentation time of seven days. It was expected that palm kernel cake fermented with Sclerotium rolfsii (cellulolytic fungi) can be used as a feed ingredient for poultry, although the quality of the feed material needed to be tested biologically⁴.

For experiment purpose the chicks were divided into different groups having different ration rate and composition. The parameters measured were feed consumption, body weight gain, feed conversion, body weight, carcass weight, crude fiber digestibility and nitrogen retention of broiler.

From the study results it was established that the use of palm kernel cake fermented with Sclerotium rolfsii a Corticoid Fungus in the ration considerably decreased the feed consumption of broiler. Based on statistical tests, R1, R2, R3 and R4 treatments had no noteworthy effect but R5 drastically decreased the feed consumption of broiler.

The amplified utilization of palm kernel cake fermentation up to 30% in the ration is expected to decrease nitrogen retention while increasing the crude fiber content, thus reducing the quality of rations. The high crude fiber would bind other substances, such as protein and absorb water in the intestine, making it difficult to digest nutrient content in the rations⁵.

The study results concluded that palm kernel cake fermented with Sclerotium rolfsii can be utilized up to 25% in broiler ration to achieve body weight gain with feed consumption of resulting in a feed conversion, final body weight, carcass weight, crude fiber digestibility and the nitrogen retention.

Keywords:

Utilization, fermentation, palm kernel cake, Sclerotium rolfsii, feedstuff, broiler, ration, Broiler Diets, Corticoid Fungus, fermented product, feed conversion ratio, cellulolytic fungi, corticoid fungus, ration rate and composition.

References:

1. Sinurat, A.P., 2003. Utilization of palm oil sludge for poultry feed. Wartozoa, 13: 39-47.
2. Ezieshi, E.V. and J.M. Olomu, 2008. Nutritional evaluation of palm kernel meal types: 2. Effects on live performance and nutrient retention in broiler chicken diets. Afr. J. Biotechnol., 7: 1171-1175.
3. Purwadaria, T., I.P. Kompiang, J. Darma, Supriyati and E. Sudjatmika, 2003. Isolasi dan penapisan mikroba untuk probiotik unggas dan pertumbuhannya pada berbagai sumber gula. J. IlmuTernakVeteriner, 8: 76-83.
4. Mirnawati, I.P. Kompiang and S.A. Latif, 2012. Effect of substrate composition and inoculum dosage to improve quality of palm kernel cake fermented by Aspergillus niger. Pak. J. Nutr., 11: 434-438.
5. Mirnawati, Ade D. and Gita C., 2018. Utilization of Fermented Palm Kernel Cake with Sclerotium rolfsii in Broiler Ration. Int. J. Poult. Sci., 17: 342-347.
6. Siri, S., H. Tobioka and I. Tasahi, 1992. Effects of dietary fibers on growth performance, development of internal organs, protein and energy utilization and lipid content of growing chicks. Jap. Poult. Sci., 29: 106-114.