Pineapple (Ananas comosus L) byproducts as an alternative forage for ruminants

Abstract

Brazil is one of the world's largest producers of pineapple, with more than 1,637,126 thousand tons of the fruit produced in the 2020 harvest. The State of Pará leads the national ranking as the state that most produces the fruit of pineapple (Ananas comosus L) with an annual average of 357,021 million fruits in 2020. The objective of this work was to evaluate alternatives for feeding roughage (rich in fiber) for ruminants, especially cattle, through the residues of pineapple cultivation at the end of each agricultural crop of this culture, which can be in the dry and/or rainy seasons of the year. The methodology used in this work was a systematic literature review through scientific articles that see pineapple crop residues as an alternative source of roughage for ruminants in regions that produce this fruit. The use of pineapple fruit residues in natura or in the form of silage can be an alternative source of roughage for ruminants. The cost benefit can be a good food alternative for animals finished in feedlot. The ruminal degradability of pineapple silage has good feed conversion.