Forage Yield, Nutrient Composition and Nutritive Quality of Silage Produced from Maize-Lablab Mixture

Abstract

Trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research farm, UNAAB in 2008 and 2009 to evaluate the effect of undersowing Lablab (Lablab purpureus cv. Rongai)in maize on grain yield, and to evaluate the nutritive quality of the silage in the dry season using calves.A 2ha piece of land was used for the experiment. In both years, maize was undersown with Lablab two weeks after planting (WAP)the maize. At harvest (10WAP), fresh weights and number of cobs, shelling percentage and weight of 1000grains of maize were determined. Silages of sole maize and maize-lablab in ratio 70:30 were made at harvest in plastic bags. After 4months of conservation, twelve cross-bred (White Fulani x N’dama) calves weighing 71-72kg were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments: grazing + sole maize silage, grazing + maize-lablab silage and Unsupplemented grazing as control for 84days. A seven day trial was also conducted to find out the digestibility and utilization of the maize – lablab and sole maize silage fed to cross-bred calves as supplement in the dry season.
Undersowing increased grain yield in the subsequent year. Nitrogen retention was higher (P<0.05) in Maize-lablab and lower in natural pasture. Calves supplemented with maize-lablab silage (70:30) had the highest (P < 0.05) metabolic weight gain (50.03g/kgW^0.75) while calves without supplementation had the lowest gain (42.76g/kgW^0.75). It was concluded that maize- Lablab silage (70:30) could be used as supplements to enhance the growth and survival of calves during the dry season.

Keywords: undersowing, maize-lablab, silage, calves, supplementation