Nutritive value and animal production of forage Arachis
1994
Lascano, C.E.
The nutritive value of Arachis glabrata cv. Florigraze and A. pintoi CIAT 17434 is higher than that of most tropical legumes of commercial importance. Forage Arachis species have high levels of digestible energy (i.e., 60-70 percent dry matter digestibility) and fermentable nitrogen (i.e., 13-25 percent crude protein). Relatively low levels of condensed tannins in forage Arachis could result in protein being partially protected from degradation by rumen microbes. In pastures based on A. pintoi CIAT 17434, grazing animals select legume year-round and in a proportion slightly higher than in the forage-on-offer, provided they have been previously exposed to the legume. Annual liveweight gains in pastures with A. pintoi have ranged from 160 to 200 kg/head and from 250 to 600 kg/ha, depending on species of the companion grass and dry season stress of the location. In pastures based on A. glabrata, daily gains have been as high as 1 kg. The inclusion of A. pintoi in grass pastures has resulted in increased liveweight gains and milk yields of 20-200 percent and 17-20 percent, respectively, compared with the grass-alone pastures; the highest gains occurring when there is 30 percent legume in the pasture. This increase is due to both the increased quality of the companion grass and to legume. Even in heavily grazed pastures and in the dry season, liveweight gains are higher in pastures with A. pintoi than in pastures with grass alone. A. pintoi CIAT 17434 and A. glabrata cv. Florigraze can grow with aggressive grasses and persist under a wide range of grazing management, including continuous grazing. Heavy grazing appears to favor increased legume content, particularly in areas with little dry season stress.
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