Effect of effective microorganisms (EM) treated taro (Colocasia esculenta) root on the growth performance of broiler chickens

A seven-week study was conducted to determine the effects of the replacement of maize with TRM treated with effective microorganisms on the growth performance of broiler chickens (cobb-500). In a completely randomized design, 2*3 factorial, the first factor corresponded to the EM (with and without), and the second factor corresponded to the taro levels (0%, 30%, and 45%), 216 unsexed, day-old broiler chickens were used for the study divided into 6 treatments and 3 replicates. Each treatment contained (T1) 0% TRM without EM (negative control); (T2) 30% TRM without EM; (T3) 45% TRM without EM; (T4) 0% TRM with-EM (positive control); (T5) 30% TRM with-EM; (T6) 45% TRM with-EM of the total diets. There were (p < .001) interaction effects (TRM level*EM) on DM intake, BWG (p < .001), and FCR (p < .05), during the starter, finisher, and overall periods. A higher improvement (p < .001) on DM intake and BWG was observed from broiler fed T6. In addition, T6 had comparable (p < .05) with the T4 group broilers. There were significant (p < .05) reductions in antinutritional factors concentrations in EM-fermented taro root than that unfermented one. Therefore, it had seen that the replacement of maize at 45% TRM with-EM in diets improved the growth performance of broiler chicken.