Abstract

HERNANDEZ C, Hugo E et al. Nutritional changes in two phenophases of fodder shrubs. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2008, vol.26, n.3, pp.215-218. ISSN 0798-7269.

Nutritional changes in the browsing shrub during their phenophases exert direct impact on the productivity of ruminants that consume them. This is a reason why it is necessary to monitor these shrubs and to carry out practical approaches for their rational and sustainable utilization. With this in mind, there were sampled nine fodder shrub species in their blooming and fructification stages to determine acid (ADF) and neutral (NDF) detergent fiber contents, and the digestibility (D), consumption index (CI), and its relative forage value (RFV). Four samples with three replicates for phenophase were statistically analyzed in a completely randomized design. For the blooming stage, NDF values were 41.3, 36.5, 33.6, 45.2, 35.8, 32.3, 33.6, 41.9, and 45.7 for Acacia peninsular (Ap), Cercidium floridum (Cf ), Mmimosa xantii (Mx), Pithecellobium confine (Pc), Prosopis sp. (Ps), Bursera microphylla (Bm), Cyrtocarpa endulis (Cc), Opuntia cholla (Och), and Turnera diffuse (Td), respectively. In the fructification stage, NDF values were 37.2, 30.4, 34.1, 40.7, 36.2, 54.2, 40.8, 37.5, and 56.1 respectively; ADF was 28.2, 24.1, 27.9, 32.1, 22.8, 24.2, 22.9, 20.7 and 33.7, respectively, while in fructification stage was 29.3, 21.7, 30, 5, 33.7, 22.9, 48.7, 34.5, 20.9, and 47.4, respectively. Differences among species (P <0.01) and among phenophases (P <0.05) were found. The digestibility varied in ranges of 62-73% and 50-71% for blooming and fructification stages, respectively. CI was greater than 2.1% of consume of live weight, RVF at blooming time was 150, 178, 185 , 131, 184, 201, 196, 161 and 127 for Bm, Cc, Mx, Ps, Cf, Och, Ap, Pc and Td, respectively, while at fructification stage values were 165, 220, 177, 143, 182, 87, 141, 180, and 86 for Cf, Ps, Och, Mx, Ap, Pc, Cc, Bm, and Td, respectively.

Keywords : Phenophases; blooming; fruiting; shrubs.

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