Research Article

Principal component analysis in assessment of relations to some pelleted feed characteristics

Marek Rynkiewicz, Marek Śnieg

West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 14(3), 2015, 85‒96

Abstract. The paper describes the study of three feed mixtures, from which pelleted feed was produced. The main components of examined feed were wheat, corn and soybeans. Different proportions of components and varying degrees of fragmentation (0.6, 0.7 and 1.6 mm) enabled to obtain nine feedingstuffs, which differ in composition, degree of fragmentation, bulk and tapped density. The quality of feed pellets was determined by the pellet durability index, their average length and the amount of broken pellets. The statistical tests principal components analysis method was used. They were two principal components, which explained 91.11% of the variability of input data, with the loss of information at the level of 8.89%. Also 4 groups of feed with similar physical properties were determinated.

Keywords: principal component analysis, pelleted feed, pelleter, pellet durability index