• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.220-228
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• 2007

The nutritive value and the effect of tannins on the utilization of foliage from three commonly used legumes, Acacia nilotica, Albizia procera, and Sesbania acculeata, were determined. Three mature rumen-fistulated bullocks were used to study in sacco degradability and twelve adult sheep were randomly allocated on the basis of live weight to 4 groups of 3 in each to study the in vivo digestibility of the foliages. In all foliages, the contents of crude protein (17 to 24% of DM) were high. Fibre was especially high in Albizia (NDF 58.8% of DM vs. 21% in Sesbania and 15.4% in Acacia). Contents of both hydrolysable (4.4 to 0.05%) and condensed tannins (1.2 to 0.04%) varied from medium to low in the foliages. Acacia contained the highest level of total phenolics (20.1%), protein precipitable phenolics (13.2%) and had the highest capacity to precipitate protein (14.7%). Drying in shade reduced the tannin content in Acacia and Albizia by 48.6 and 69.3% respectively. The foliages ranked similarly for each of the different methods used to estimate tannin content and activity. Acacia and Sesbania foliage was highly degradable (85-87% potential degradability of DM in sacco), compared to Albizia (52%), indicating a minimal effect of tannins in Acacia and Sesbania. Yet, in vitro, the tannins in the Acacia inhibited microbial activity more than those in Albizia and Sesbania. Following the addition of polyethylene glycol to neutralise the tannins, gas production and microbial growth increased by 59% and 0.09 mg RNA equiv./dg microbial yield respectively in the Acacia, compared to 16-17% and 0.06 mg RNA equiv./dg microbial yield in the other foliages. There was a trend for low in vivo apparent digestibility of N in the Acacia (43.2%) and Albizia (44.2%) compared to the Sesbania (54.5%) supplemented groups. This was likely to be due to presence of tannins. Consistent with this was the low N retention (0.22 and 0.19 g N/g NI) in sheep supplemented with Acacia and Albizia compared to that for the Sesbania (0.32). Similarly, a trend for poor microbial N yield was observed in sheep fed these foliages. Across the foliages tested, an increase in tannin content was associated with a reduction in ruminal fermentation, N digestibility and N retention. For overall nutritive value, Sesbania proved to be the superior forage of the three tested.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1429-1437
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• 2003

Browse tree legume leaves from Acacia spp (A. nilotica, A. tortilis, A. polyacantha), Dichrostachys sp, Flagea villosa, Piliostigma thonningii, Harrisonia sp were evaluated for nutritive potential (chemical compositions and degradability characteristics) compared to Gliricidia sepium. Effect of tannins anti-nutritive activity on digestibility was also assessed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) tannin bioassay. Crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) differed (p<0.05) between legume foliages. Mean CP, ash, NDF, ADF and ADL for fodder species tested were 158, 92, 385, 145, and 100 g/kg DM, respectively. CP ranged from 115 (P. thonningii) to 205 g/kg DM (G. sepium). Acacia spp had moderate CP values (g/kg DM) of 144 (A. nilotica), to high CP in A. tortilis (188) and A. polyacantha (194) comparable to G. sepium. The forages had relatively lower fiber compositions. A. nilotica had (p<0.05) lowest NDF, ADF and ADL (182, 68 and 44) compared to P. thonningii (619, 196 and 130) g/kg DM, respectively. Except G. sepium, all fodder species had detectable high phenolic and tannin contents greater than 5% DM, an upper beneficial level in animal feeding and nutrition. Mean total phenolics (TP), total tannins (TT) and condensed tannins (CT) (or proanthocyanidins) for fodder species tested were 139, 113 and 43 mg/g DM, respectively. F. villosa had (p<0.05) lowest TP and TT of 65 and 56 mg/g DM, respectively, compared to A. nilotica (237 and 236 mg/g DM, respectively). The CT varied (p<0.05) from 6 (F. villosa) to 74 mg/g DM (Dichrostachys sp). In vitro organic matter (OM) degradability (OMD) differed (p<0.05) between fodder species. G. sepium had (p<0.05) high degradability potential compared to A. polyacantha that had (p<0.05) the lowest OMD values. Forage degradability ranked: G. sepium>A. nilotica>P. thonningi>F. villosa>Dichrostachys sp>A. tortilis>A. polyacantha. Addition of PEG resulted to (p<0.05) improvement in in vitro OM digestibility (IVD). Increase in IVD was mainly due to binding action of PEG on tannins; and represents potential nutritive values previously depressed by tannins anti-nutritive activity. Browse fodder has potential as sources of ruminal nitrogen especially for ruminants consuming low quality roughages due to high protein, lower fiber compositions and high potential digestibility. However, utilization of browse supplements in ruminants is hampered by high phenolic and tannin contents. Deactivation of tannin anti-nutritive activity, possibly by feeding tanniniferous browse with other readily available nitrogen sources to dilute tannin anti-nutritive activity could improve utilization of browse fodder supplements. Further studies are needed to assess browse fodder palatability and intake, and their effect on growth performance in ruminants.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.5
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• pp.127-133
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• 1987

The process of fertilization and changes in anatomical structure of sclerotia during the apothecial formation in Sclerotinia trifoliorum, the causal fungus of sclerotial rot of forage legumes, were investigated. The time of fertilization could be estimated with fair accuracy by the sequencial spermatization of the sclerotia which kept at 15C in saturated moisture. In the case of one strain used in this experiment, fertilization between the sclerotia and spermatia were estimated to take place at around 18days after the sclerotia were placed under the conditions for apothecial induction (15C, saturated moisture). The fertilizable state was maintained for about 45 days and the spermatization thereafter did not induce the apothecial formation. When the sclerotia reached fertilizable state, a number of interwoven hyphal nests were developed within the medulla of sclerotia, regardless of the sexuality of the cultures. Comparing the process of multiplication and growth of the hyphal nests in homothallic and heterothallic culture, they were identified as ascogonium. These ascogonia were persisted for about 45 days. This observation was well coincided with the duration of fertilizable state elucidated by the sequencial spermatization experiment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 1983

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of some kinds of tree litters covered the soil surface on the germination, establishment, sward composition, and herbage production of the grasses sown by the oversowing method. The litters were leaves of Pinus rigida Miller, Quercus variabilis Blume, Larix leptolepis Gord, and Alnus hirsuta Rupr. The results obtained were as follows; 1. In the Petri dish, germination was affected by grass species and kinds of litters, especially the percolate from Pinus litter seriously suppressed the early germination of small size seeds such as ladino clover and timothy. 2. In the pot, establishment was slightly suppressed in ladino and timothy by the percolate from Pinus litter, while in others it was decreased relatively. 3. Among the 6 species investigated, the small size seeds of ladino clover and timothy and the large size seeds of red clover, they could be early put into the litter spaces and established well. 4. In Larix litter, the establishment percentage of all species were decreased seriously owing to low moisture retention capacity. 5. Grass height and root length were different in kinds of litters and species. 6. The percentages of establishment on each surface treatments of burning, treading, raking, and the control under Quercus tree were 36, 46, 37, and 31%, respectively. 7. The sward percentage of oversown grasses and legumes was 57.8% in burning, 70.9% in treading, 59.6% in raking, and 54.0% in the control. 8. Treading treatment was most effective to destroy existing vegetation and improve soil-seed contact when oversowing and showed the best result. 9. Yield of dry matter per unit area in treading treatment was higher (p<0.05) than those of the other treatments. The above experimental results suggest the importance of direct oversowing on the litters in the mountainous land and forest land.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.98-107
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• 1983

This experiment was carried out to determine the optimum fertilizer level of N-P-K for maximum yield of grasses at hill-land pasture. The pasture species tested were orchardgrass, tall fescue, alfalfa and ladino clover. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The difference in yield of treatment 1, 2, and 4, 5 was significant at the 5% level. In other word, alfalfa yields from 6-30-30 kg/10a and 6-40-30 kg/10a (N-P-K) application were significantly increased over the yields from 4-20-20 kg/10a and 4-30-20 kg/10a (N-P-K). In observing the yield from the treatment 5 where 10 kilograms of phosphate was additionally applied over the treatment 4, it was increased in yield but failed to show statistical significance. With these results, the most optimum rates of N-P-K for alfalfa production are 6-30-30 kg/10a. 2. Ladino clover showed the highest yield at treatment 6 with statistic significance at the 1 percent level over the other treatments. Therefore, NPK rates of 6-30-40 kg/10a would be the most optimal rates for maximum production of ladino clover. 3. Orchard grass yield showed significance at the 1 percent level among other treatments except treatment 3 and 4. The highest yield was also shown at treatment 6 where NPK rates applied 40-30-40 kg/10a. 4. Tall fescue yield showed high significance at the 1 percent except treatments between 2 and 3, 5 and 6. The highest yield was observed at treatment 6 where NPK was applied 40-30-40 kilograms per 10a. 5. Nitrogen content of dry matter was 0.91-1.05% in 20 kg of N and 1.05-1.26% in 30-40 kg of N per 10a. The absorption rate of nitrogen applied was 23-31% regardless of the nitrogen level. Potash content of dry matter was increased in accordance with increasing K rates. 6. The gross income was the highest on the N-P-K application of 4-20-30 kg/10a in alfalfa and ladion clover, 40-30-40 kg/10a in orchardgrass and 30-20-20 kg/10a in tall fescus.