Assessment of growth, dry matter yield and nutritive value of some forage legumes in the semi- arid zone of Nigeria

Abstract

An Experiment was conducted to assess growth, dry matter yield and nutritive content of Lablab purpureus (T1), Mucuna prupriens (T2), Centroscema pascuorum (T3) and Cajanus cajan (T4). The legumes were planted at the beginning of rainy season at Teaching and Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri which covered a land area of 280m2 divided into four blocks with three sub plots each measuring 4×3m with 0.5m border between the plots and 0.1m between the blocks, replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. Forages were harvested at different stages of growth, from week five up to fifteen. Plant growth in height was measured weekly while dry matter yield and nutritive contents were determined subsequently by taking sub samples from each forage legume species at two weeks interval for oven drying to constant weight at 60⁰C for 48 hours followed by proximate analysis respectively. The results showed that maximum growth was observed during weeks 5 to 9 which coincided with the period of high rain fall (July to August). T1 recorded higher (p<0.05) growth (7.4-224cm) followed by T2 (6.25-231cm), T3 (8.2-155cm) and then T4 (3.01-115cm). Dry matter yield differed significantly (p< 0.05) for all the legumes at different stages of growth: T1 (2,609.25-3,187.50), T2 (2,855.86-3,147.10), T3 (2,723.26-3,006.70) and T4 (2,556.85–2,900) kg/Dm/ha. Nutritive contents of the forages showed that while crude protein and ether extracts decreases, dry matter, crude fiber and ash contents increases with the stages of growth, from week 5 to 15. It was concluded that the legumes could best be harvested between weeks 9 and 13 when the yield and quality reached peak to meet both the dry matter and nutritive requirements of animals for higher productivity.