This study examined the effects of soaking a corn-soybean meal ration supplemented with phytase in a six-week experiment with 18.7 kg crossbred barrows. The basal diet contained 0.06% available phosphorus (P), 0.32% total P, and 0.55% calcium with no ad ded inorganic P. The basal diet was supplemented with three levels of phytase and/or soaked with two parts water to one part diet. A positive control with 0.48% total P, 0.23% available P and 0.60% calcium was fed. There were no soaking x phytase interactions for performance criteria. Daily gains and gain/feed were increased by soaking and increased linearly by phytase. Apparent P absor ption criteria were increased by soaking and were increased linearly by phytase additions. Phytase reduced fecal P excretion 37-40 % with dry feeding and 48-49% with soaking.

Liu, J., and co-workers. 1997. Soaking increases the efficacy of supplemental microbial phytase in a low-phosphorus corn-soyb ean meal diet for growing pigs. J. Animal. Sci. 75(5):1292-1298.