Publication Date

1993

Description

Twenty-three Desmanthus virgatus accessions, established on a mildly alkaline clay soil (Typic Rendoll Mollisol), were repeatedly harvested to 10 cm stubble over a 2-year period whenever regrowths reached the early-pod stage of maturity to determine forage yield, leaf/stem proportions, forage quality and stand persistence. Differences were observed in seasonal growth distribution and annual forage yield of accessions. Collections from Venezeula and Mexico were among the most productive (8-11 t dry matter/ha/year) and from the Dominican Republic, the least productive (<6 t/ha/year) accessions. Most accessions perissted well under the lenient garvesting regime imposed. The proportion of leaf in dry forage ranged from 34 to 43% with average leaf crude protein (CP) content in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of 19.2% and 83.4%, respectively. The average stem CP and IVOMD were 7.4% and 48.9%, respectively, and were not affected by accessions. Leaf samples of all Desmanthus accessions contained high levels of tannins (26-31 g tannic acid equivalent s/kg DM). However, unlike fibre fractions, leaf IVOMD was only weakly correlated with leaf tannin content (r-0.38).

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Performance of Desmanthus virgatus Accessions in the Caribbean

Twenty-three Desmanthus virgatus accessions, established on a mildly alkaline clay soil (Typic Rendoll Mollisol), were repeatedly harvested to 10 cm stubble over a 2-year period whenever regrowths reached the early-pod stage of maturity to determine forage yield, leaf/stem proportions, forage quality and stand persistence. Differences were observed in seasonal growth distribution and annual forage yield of accessions. Collections from Venezeula and Mexico were among the most productive (8-11 t dry matter/ha/year) and from the Dominican Republic, the least productive (<6 t>/ha/year) accessions. Most accessions perissted well under the lenient garvesting regime imposed. The proportion of leaf in dry forage ranged from 34 to 43% with average leaf crude protein (CP) content in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of 19.2% and 83.4%, respectively. The average stem CP and IVOMD were 7.4% and 48.9%, respectively, and were not affected by accessions. Leaf samples of all Desmanthus accessions contained high levels of tannins (26-31 g tannic acid equivalent s/kg DM). However, unlike fibre fractions, leaf IVOMD was only weakly correlated with leaf tannin content (r-0.38).