Crespo-Crespo, Maritere

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    Características agronómicas, composición química y selectividad ingestiva por ganado ovino de tres leguminosas arbustivas: Cratylia argentea (Desv.) Kuntze, Calliandra calothyrsus Meisn. y Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit)
    (2007) Crespo-Crespo, Maritere; Rodríguez Carías, Abner A.; College of Agricultural Sciences; Randel Folling, Paul F.; Valencia Chin, Elide; Ramos Santana, Rafael; Latorre Acevedo, José R.; Department of Animal Science; Rodrígues, José Carlos V.
    In tropical livestock production systems there is need to incorporate shrub legumes in order to improve animal performance and reduce feed costs. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the agronomic characteristics, chemical composition and selective consumption by lambs of three tropical shrub legumes; Cratylia argentea (CA), Calliandra calothyrsus (CC) and Leucaena leucocephala (LL). In experiment 1, the legumes were planted initially in individual containers and later transplanted to a field with six subdivisions in association with tropical grasses, using a randomized complete blocks design (RCBD). At 134d posttransplanting six plants were collected to evaluate the height, dry matter (DM) yield, and botanical and chemical compositions. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS and Tukey t-test. A grazing selectivity trial of 21-d duration (grazing period of 6 hours daily), used six plots containing the tropical legumes in double rows and in association with tropical grasses (N=2). Eighteen young lambs (μ=22.8 Kg) were randomly allotted to six groups of three animals each and the groups randomly assigned to graze the plots. Experiment 2 was conducted to evaluate the voluntary intake of CA, CC and LL hay fed as a supplement to a basal diet of tropical grass hay (TGH). Eighteen crossbred lambs (μ=27.3 kg) were randomly allotted in groups of three. Supplementation with the legumes hays was at the level of 50% of the ration dry matter (DM). Rations were offered daily at the rate of 3% of the animal body weight (dry matter basis). Experiment 3 was conducted to evaluate the voluntary intake of fresh cut foliage from CC and LL added to a basal diet of TGH. Level of supplementation was similar to that used in experiment 2. The foliages were harvested and the ration DM offered daily at 3% of the animal body weight. Twelve crossbred lambs (μ=23.1 kg) were randomly allotted into four trios. In experiments 2 and 3, the animals were fed for six days of adaptation and five days of data collection. Amounts of offered and unconsumed feed were registered to determine intake. Both experiments were analyzed using a completely randomized design and a Tukey test for separation of means (SAS, 1990). In experiment 1, height of plants 134d after transplanting was; 0.46, 1.32 and 1.62 m for CA, CC and LL, respectively. Corresponding dry matter yields were 43.9, 1,133 and 1,172 kg/ha. CA and CC were the two highest in proportion of leaf (57.5% and 54.7%) and lowest in proportion of stem (42.5% and 45.2%), respectively. LL presented the highest crude protein (CP) content in the foliage, followed by CA and finally CC (21.94, 16.56 y 14.40%). No differences were detected (P>0.05) among the three legumes for CP content of the stems. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content in the leaves was lowest in LL (40.17%) and progressively greater in CC (46.46%) and CA (57.20%). The tropical grasses associated with the legumes exhibit a moderate CP content and high, but not excessive NDF content. Selectivity was observed for LL only. There was no consumption of CA and CC during the 21-d period. In experiment 2, differences in the amounts of chemical fractions offered, rejected and consumed were detected (P<0.05). The DM and CP intakes were similar for CA and LL (1210 and 244.4 g vs. 1214 and 252.0 g, respectively). The animals consumed approximately 98% of the offered forage of CA and LL, but only about 65% of the CC offered. The NDF intake was greater in lambs fed CA than in those fed CC and LL. In experiment 3, no differences in the offerings, rejections and consumptions of CC and LL were detected (P<0.05). The animals consumed nearly 100% of the offered forage of both legumes. A greater CP intake was observed in animals fed LL than in those receiving CC (P<0.05), whereas the reverse was true of NDF intake (P<0.05). No differences between treatments in the offerings, rejections and consumptions of grass hay were detected (P<0.05). These results permit recommending the use of LL in grazing systems or supplemented as hay or fresh cut in diets of confined ruminants fed basal diets of grass hay of low quality. Such use of LL would promote greater animal production and help to reduce the high feed costs.