The effect of diets containing dried and ensiled tomato pulp on performance of Holstein dairy cow

In a 3×3 Latin square design, 9 ok and multipaous lactating Holstein cows averaging 76 ± 12 days in milk and 580±48 kg of body weight were assigned to three dietary treatments in 3 periods of 21 days. Dietary treatments were 1) the control diet (without dried or ensiled tomato pulp), 2) diet with 8% dried tomato pulp (DM basis) and 3) diet with 8% ensiled tomato pulp silage (DM basis). Tomato pulp either dried or ensiled was substituted with whole barley silage and cotton seed meal. Dry matter intake, milk composition, blood metabolites and nutrient digestibility were not affected significantly by the treatments. Milk production was increased significantly in response to tomato pomace substitution and reached to 41.36 and 41.16 kg/d for the diets containing dried and ensiled tomato pulp respectively in comparison with the control diet (treatment). Total chewing and rumination times did not differ between the treatments. Ruminal pH of cows fed diet containing ensiled tomato pulp was significantly (P≤0.05) lower than the control diet. No seed was germinated in germination test possibly due to the application of high temperature during paste production process. It was concluded that inclusion of 8-10% tomato pulp in dry or ensiled forms in the dairy diets could reduced the cost of feed without any adverse effect on the cow's performances