Chemical composition of three herbaceous tropical forage legumes grown successfully in Zimbabwe

A scientific study on animal- feed nutrition for better stock production in Zimbabwe.Desmodium uncinatum, Stylosanthes guianensis and Macroptilium atropurpureum, grown at the University of Zimbabwe Farm, were harvested serially in the early (December), mid (February) and late (April) growing season in 1992/93 and oven-dried. Field-cured hays were also made from the legumes in April 1993 and 1994. The legumes differed in phenological development which, in turn, influenced crude protein (CP) levels. The CP content of S. guianensis (132 to 167 g/kg dry matter) was the least and first rose and then fell, that of D. uncinatum (195 to 234 g/kg DM) decreased, while that of M. atropurpureum (189 to 229 g/kg DM) increased with the season. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) was higher in the early (364 to 440 g/kg DM) than in the mid to late season (470 to 559 g/kg DM). S. guianensis was the most fibrous in April, while D. uncinatum contained the most lignin across the season (148 to 159 g/kg DM). The legumes, especially M. atropurpureum, were rich in calcium (9.8 to 20.4 g/kg DM) and phosphorus (1.8 to 3.3 g/kg DM). Hay making was associated with loss of quality (e.g., 14 to 31 percent less CP and 12 to 51 percent more NDF) that was attributable to leaf loss. D. uncinatum hay contained the most fibre, lignin and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen and the least minerals. It is concluded that, overall, M. atropurpureum was chemically the most nutritious legume

Factors affecting weeping lovegrass seedling vigor on shinnery oak range

Low vigor of seedlings and stand failures plague many revegetation efforts in semiarid and arid rangelands. Phototoxicity, sandbur (Cenchrus incertus M.A. Curtis) competition, seedbed preparation (plowing vs. disking), and nitrogen (N) fertilization were studied as reasons for low vigor of Ermelo weeping lovegrass [Eragrostis curvula Schrad.) Nees] seedlings on sand shinnery oak (Quercus havardii Rydb.) range in west Texas. Oak leaf residue and sandbur-dominated grass residue extracts did not affect seed germination and initial shoot growth of lovegrass seedlings. However, these residue extracts reduced root length 92% and 21%, respectively. Survival of weeping lovegrass seedlings was not affected by even 65 sandbur plants/m2. But, herbage yield was reduced 65, 72, and 79% with 30, 45, and 65 sandbur plants/m2. Early in the growing season, unfertilized plowed (P) plots had 5.6 ppm N in the 10-20 cm soil layer compared to a maximum of 3.9 ppm on other seedbed treatments. In the surface 10 cm, the P plots had less N than the disked plots. Surface-applied N fertilizer accumulated in the upper 10 cm of soil and promoted weed growth without improving weeping lovegrass stands or seedling vigor. Weeping lovegrass seedling vigor was greatest on P and least on disked plots. Thus, plowing buried weed seeds better, put resident N more deeply into the soil for better root uptake, removed allelopathic residues from seedling contact better, and provided for much higher seedling vigor than the disked seedbeds.This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202