Effects of Concentrate Level and Fermentation Time on The Protein Content of Water Hyacinth-Based Livestock Feed (Eichhornia crassipes)

Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of concentrate level and fermentation time on the protein content of water hyacinth-based livestock feed. The study was initiated in February 2024 at the Chemistry Laboratory of Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika and employed a laboratory experiment with a 4 × 2 factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The first factor was concentrate level: 0%, 30% (300 g), 35% (350 g), and 40% (400 g), each mixed with 1 kg of water hyacinth; the second factor was fermentation time: 7 and 14 days. Each treatment combination was replicated six times, yielding 48 experimental units. Protein content was determined using the Kjeldahl method. The data were analyzed descriptively, tested for normality and homogeneity, and subsequently analyzed using two-way ANOVA followed by the Tukey HSD post hoc test. Mean protein contents after 7 days of fermentation were 0.22%, 0.30%, 0.33%, and 0.42%, respectively, whereas the corresponding means after 14 days were 0.23%, 0.24%, 0.25%, and 0.30%. ANOVA revealed significant effects of concentrate level, fermentation time, and their interaction on protein content (p < .001). The best-performing combination was the 40% concentrate treatment fermented for 7 days, which produced a mean protein content of 0.42%.