Growth and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs fed peach-palm meal (Bactris gasipaes HBK) and lysine

To evaluate the effect of feeding peach-palm meal (PM) and synthetic lysine (SL) supplemented diets on growth and carcass traits of finishing pigs, sixteen pigs of 67.25 +/- 1.17 kg were randomly allotted to one of four diets in a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments with or without 0.27% SL and two levels of peach-palm meal (0 and 25%), with four replications per diet during 35 days. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion (ADFI/ADG), quantitative and qualitative carcass traits, and cut yield were evaluated. There were no differences between the ADFI and ADFI/ADG of pigs fed the basal diet in comparison with pigs fed 25% PM, independently of SL addition. Pigs fed 0% PM and SL had ADG of 216 g/d more (P<0.01) than pigs fed 25% of PM and SL diets. Pigs fed 25% PM without SL had greater carcass length in comparison with pigs fed the control diet (P<0.01) and the group fed diets containing 25% PM with SL (P<0.05). The Longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) was greatest (P<0.05) in pigs fed SL. Pigs fed 25% PM had a greater carcass length without detrimental effects on growth performance, carcass quality traits and carcass cut yield. The SL improves LMA independently of PM addition to these diets.