Effect of acid and alkali treatment of soybean meal on nitrogen utilization by ruminants.

Soybean meal (SBM) was treated with acid or alkali to determine effects on N solubility, in vitro NH3-N accumulation, in situ N degradability, and N digestion and retention in growing lambs. The following SBM treatments resulted in decreased (P less than .05) N solubility and in vitro NH3-N accumulation compared with control SBM: spraying with 2.5 or 5% acetic or propionic acid, soaking in .5 N HCl, .5 N NaOH or .5 N propionic acid followed by air drying, and soaking in H2O, .5 N HCl or .5 N propionic acid followed by drying at 100 C. In situ residual N was determined for SBM subjected to the above treatments. Soybean meal sprayed with 2.5 or 5% acetic or propionic acid had greater (P less than .05) in situ residual N after 4, 8 and 12 h of incubation than control SBM. Soybean meal soaked in .5 N HCl or .5 N NaOH and air-dried, and soaked in H2O, .5 N propionic acid or .5 N HCl and dried at 100 C had greater (P less than .05) in situ residual N after 4, 8, 12 and 24 h of incubation than control SBM. In a lamb N balance trial, SBM treated by spraying with 5% acetic or propionic acid or by soaking in .5 N NaOH did not result in reduced N digestion compared to control SBM. Feeding SBM soaked in .5 N NaOH resulted in a 39% increase (P less than .05) in N retention compared with control SBM (5.21 vs 3.74 g/d, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)