Some factors effecting the digestion of cellulose from important coarse roughages commonly used as cattle feeds in India, by rumen micro-organisms have been studied 'in vitro'.
For comparing the rates of cellulose digestion from wheat and rice straws, 'jowar' and maize stalks 36 hours incubation period 'in vitro' was found appropriate.
The rate of cellulose digestion increased as the particle size of roughages under investigation was decreased from 5.0mm to 0.5mm.
The cellulose digestion was increased significantly when n-valeric acid and DL-valine were added at concentrations ranging from 1 mg. to 20 mg. per 100ml. of the contents of incubation flasks.