A meta-analysis of the effects of sugarcane green waste on productivity, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and milk production in sheep

The inappropriate disposal of sugarcane green waste (SGW) frequently results in environmental problems. The use of sugarcane green waste SGW as sheep feed presents a sustainable alternative; nonetheless, its impact on productivity, meat, and milk needs additional research. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of SGW inclusion on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and milk production in sheep using a meta-analysis of published studies. Studies were sourced from BASE, CABA, JSTOR, PubMed, Scopus, and WoS, covering publications from 1981 to 2025. The inclusion criteria required original research articles published in peer-reviewed journals that employed a randomized controlled design. A total of 26 articles met these criteria. The meta-analysis utilized a linear mixed model (LMM), while the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and H2-statistics were applied to assess heterogeneity. The inclusion of SGW significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR; p < 0.05). However, carcass parameters, including hot carcass weight (HCW), cold carcass weight (CCW), and dressing percentage (DP), remained lower (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, SGW hydrolysis resulted in a CCW comparable to that of the control group. Meat quality, particularly water content and cooking loss (CL), increased significantly, especially in treatments involving SGW-bagasse and SGW-ensilage (p < 0.05). Additionally, ash content in the meat was significantly higher in the SGW-bagasse (p < 0.05). The water-holding capacity (WHC) at 24 h was also significantly higher in SGW-whole than in the control group (p = 0.01). Regarding milk composition, the addition of SGW significantly reduced lactose and protein levels in sheep milk (p < 0.05), although milk production itself remained unaffected. Overall, SGW exhibited positive effects on sheep productivity without compromising carcass traits, meat quality, and milk production. Further research is needed to determine optimal inclusion rates, assess long-term effects, and explore mitigation strategies to maximize its benefits.