Afrooz Sharifi - Graduate Student of Animal Nutrition, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Iran
Morteza Chaji - Department of Animal Science, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Iran
Tahereh Mohammadabadi - Department of Animal Science, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Khouzestan, Ahvaz, Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding sulfuric acid to sugarcane topssilage on rumen bacteria and whole rumen microorganisms (WRM) and compare the digestibility of sugarcane tops treated with different amount of urea, molasses and sulfuric acid between Holstein cow and Khouzestan buffalo. Regardless of the type of the treatment, potential of gas production (B) by cow WRM (۱۳۰.۶۷۰ mL) was more than buffalo (۱۰۴.۰۶۰ mL) (p < ۰.۰۵), but the rate of gas production (C) by buffalo WRM was greater than cow (۰.۰۲۱ and ۰.۰۱۴ mL per hr, respectively) (p < ۰.۰۵). The C in treatment containing only ۲.۴۰% sulfuric acid (۰.۰۳۳ mL per hr) was significantly highest (p < ۰.۰۵). Regardless of the type of the treatment, the B by cow rumen bacteria (۷۵.۰۴۰ mL) was more than buffalo (۶۷.۱۵۰ mL), (p < ۰.۰۵), while the C by rumen bacteria of buffalo (۰.۰۳۰ mL per hr) was more than cow (۰.۰۱۷ mL per hr), (p < ۰.۰۵). Regardless of the type of the animal, the B coefficient of rumen bacteria in treatment only containing ۲.۴۰% sulfuric acid was higher than control (p < ۰.۰۵). Therefore, the addition of sulfuric acid not only had no negative effect on microorganisms particularly bacteria, but also probably due to present of sulfur in acid, had positive effect on nutrients digestibility, and growth of microorganisms. The digestibility of sugarcane tops silage treated by cow rumen bacteria and whole microorganisms was higher than buffalo.

Bacteria, Buffalo, Molasses, Sulfuric Acid, urea