Forage yield and digestibility of promising grasses and legumes

Total herbage (DMY) of the Stylosanthes scobra cultivars was significantly higher (P0.01) than all the Stylosanthes quianensis cultivars in both seasons. A similar trend was observed in the percentage leaf during the wet season. However, in the dry season, S. quianensis CIAT no.3, had significantly higher percentage leaf (P0.05) than the other cultivars. In pure grass stand, Andropogon (A. guyanus) produced significantly higher DMY (P0.01) followed by Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) and Setaria (Setaria splendida). Para grass had the lowest yield in both seasons. The percentage leaf of Sestaria, Andropogon and Guinea grasses in the wet season were all significantly higher (P0.01) than that of Para grass. In dry season, Andropogon had the highest percentage leaf. Para grass had the lowest. In the wet season, the mean total DMY of Guinea-stylosanthes and Andropogon-stylosanthes mixtures were both significantly higher (P0.01) than the Para-stylosanthes and Setaria-stylosanthes mixtures. Chemical analysis showed that the mixtures of Setaria-stylosanthes has the lowest DM content (P0.01), the Guinea grass-Stylosanthes had the highest CWC [cell wall content] (P0.01) and lowest CP [Crude Protein] content (P0.01) and Andropogon-stylosanthes had the highest CP (P0.01) in both seasons. The application of nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the DMY of grasses in the pure stand. However, phosphorus application did not have significant effect on the DMY and percentage leaf of pure stylosanthes and mixed swards in both seasons. As expected, higher DMY and percentage leaf was observed for the stylosanthes and grasses grown in pure and mixed vegetations. The digestibility trials showed that DM and CP intakes, CP digestion coefficient and DM digestibility (in vitro and in vivo methods) as feeds fed to goats and sheep were lowest with grass. It increased with increasing legume contribution in the ration. The nitrogen retention for both animals was positive in all the diets tested. Weight changes with stylosanthes and stylosanthes-supplemented diets were higher than the grass diet