Performance and carcass traits in pigs fed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) root meal

Abstract

An experiment with 40 hybrid pigs of the Landrace, Yorkshire, Duroc and Hampshire breeds with initial and final weight of 30 and 90 kg, respectively, was carried out to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of dehydrated sweet potato root on productive performance, carcass characteristics and costs. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with four repetitions. Five treatments (T1: basal ration [energy source of corn and sorghum]. T2, T3, T4 and T5, in which cereals were replaced by sweet potato root meal in 25, 50, 75 and 100 %, respectively) were performed. The growing diet was offered until the pigs reached 60 kg and the finishing diet, up to 90 kg of average weight per pig. The animals were in a fast for 24 h before slaughtering and, then, their carcasses were evaluated. The pigs consuming the diet without cereals (100 % sweet potato root meal) had lower final weight (P < 0.05), lower feed intake (P < 0.05), lower weight increase (P < 0.05), lower daily gain and required larger amount of feed per kilogram of increase (P < 0.05) in the growing and finishing stages. For the performance traits, the pigs receiving 75 % of sweet potato root meal showed values similar (P > 0.05) to those fed lower levels of sweet potato root meal. Moreover, the time required for attaining slaughter weight was also similar, as well as the carcasses. They also had the lower costs per kilogram of increase. These results lead to the conclusion that cereals can be substituted by 75 % of sweet potato root meal in pig diets, starting from the growing stage, having similar productive variables, of good quality, and at a lower cost.