Seasonal variations in the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of leaves and stems of two Spanish browse legumes
2004
Ammar, H. | Ranilla, M.J. | Gonz lez, J. | L¢pez, S.
This work studies chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DM) (determined by two different techniques), leaves and stems of two legume shrubs (Cytisus scoparius and Genista florida) collected at different maturation stages in the mountains of Le¢n (north-west Spain). Compared with stems, leaves have shown higher crude protein (CP) contents and DM digestibility, and lower cell wall contents. In both species and depending on the season, both CP contents and DM digestibility have decreased, whereas cell wall content has increased. These seasonal changes were more pronounced in stems than in leaves. In summary, CP contents and DM digestibility of leaves and stems of both species are comparable to those of high-quality hay, and thus they can be considered as important forage material for feeding ruminants on pasture, especially during drought periods.
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