Barley (
Hordeum vulgare
L.), and its derivatives, ranks fourth in cereal production worldwide, and the
Pleurotus
species
are among the most efficient types of lignocellulolytic white-rot fungi. The objective of this research study was to evaluate
the degradation of barley straw and barley rootless with an inoculum of
Pleurotus to improve their nutritional availability
as a food source for ruminants. Two experiments were conducted; the first was to determine the effects of inoculation of
Pleurotus sapidus
(Schulzer) Sacc. (PS) in barley straw (BS), barley rootless (BR), and a 75% BS and 25% BR mixture
(M). The second experiment was to evaluate the same substrates
in vitro ruminal fermentation. Barley rootless had better
organic matter (OM) degradability than BS after 24 h incubation with PS. The protein content in BR was higher than in
BS (P < 0.01). Enzyme activities had the highest concentration from the start of fermentation, and
in vitro dry matter (DM)
degradability in BS and BR increased after 8 and 24 d fermentation, respectively (P < 0.05). Propionic acid concentration
was enhanced after 16 d fermentation in BR (P < 0.5). The use of BS combined with BR exhibited better fermentation; this
result provides relevant information for integrating BR with other substrates and improving the use of straw, which can be
more nutritionally available for feeding ruminants.