Fungal Fermentation of Cassava Stems with Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma asperellum for Enhanced Ruminant Feed Quality

This research aims to evaluate the effect of using Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma asperellum fermented cassava stems on physical properties and chemical quality. The research was arranged in a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with 2 types of fungi (Pleurotus ostreatus and Trichoderma asperellum) and three levels applied (0, 3, and 6% for Pleurotus ostreatus and 0, 1.5, and 3% for Trichoderma asperellum). Therefore, 3 x 3 treatments with 3 replications were used. Based on the analysis of variance in the evaluation of physical quality, it showed that the combination did not show interaction (p>0.05) on physical properties. The use of 6% Pleurotus ostreatus produces a brown color and a normal pH value of 7.23. Meanwhile, interactions did not give any significant effects (p>0.05) on nutritional content. The use of 6% Pleurotus ostreatus with 3% Trichoderma asperellum was able to increase crude protein to 7.86%, while 6% Pleurotus ostreatus with 1.5% Trichoderma asperellum was able to reduce crude fiber to 33.57% and increase TDN to 58.85%. There was a slight increase in crude protein and a reduction in crude fibre due to the treatments. This study found that fermenting cassava stems using fungi can be a potential source of feed for ruminants, but further studies on digestibility value need to be done in the future.