Nitrogen Fixation and In Situ Dry Matter and Fibre Constituents Disappearance of Wheat Straw Treated with Urea and Boric Acid in Murrah Buffaloes

Wheat straw was treated with 4 per cent urea at a moisture level of 50 per cent alongwith different levels of boric acid viz. 1, 2, 3 and 4 per cent, under laboratory conditions to know the impact of boric acid on ammonia-N fixation in the straw. Murrah buffaloes were used for determining the disappearance of dry matter, CP and fibre constituents by nylon bag technique. Ammoniation increased CP content of wheat straw, which increased further due to addition of boric acid. Low level of boric acid (1%) had no adverse effect on fibre constituents disappearance but at higher levels there was a depressioon in the disappearance of fibre coonstituents. It can be concluded that low level of boric acid was sufficient to trap the excess ammonia released during urea ammoniation of wheat straw without affecting other constituents and their disappearance in the rumen of buffaloes.