he use of gewang tree (Corypha elata robx) as feed for livestock in the tropics

Abstract

Promoting the use of alternative feed resources, derived from crops and trees which are more  “environmentally  friendly”,  will  lead  to  more sustainable  development and  will  increase  self- reliance  in  tropical  countries.  Gewang  tree  (Corypha  elata  robx)  is  grown  in  many  countries  of  the Tropics including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, some islands in the Pacific and other Asian countries. This paper will review the use of it as feed for livestock in the Tropics. The practical used of putak produced by gewang tree has been widely used as alternatively feed in the livestock rations. Putak  supplemented  with Leucaena  leucephala meal  as a  substitute for  maize  in  broiler  feeding  did not  produced  negatively  affect  on broiler  growth  rate.  The  use  of  putak  as  a  maize  meal  substitute diets influenced the egg production  of Japanese  quail. The inclusion of fermented  boiled  putak  as  a substitute  for  maize  in  the  diets  of  weanling  pigs increased  the  digestibility  of  the  nutrients  and  the fermented putak can be included in the pig diets at 10 % level in place of maize with no deleterious on animal  performance  and  it  also  actually  improves  the  economic  viability  of  the  pig  fattening enterprise. The use of  40 % putak fermentation in goat diets produced the best response on daily gain, feed  consumption,  N  retention  and  fiber  digestibility.  The  use  of  putak  as  animal  food  for  cattle resulted in the increased of body weight gains. It was concluded that putak produced by gewang tree can be used as alternately feed for livestock in the Tropics. It is locally used as feed for chickens and quail, pigs, goats and cattle in the Province of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.