Resumen

HERNANDEZ HERNANDEZ, Jorge Ezequiel et al. In vitro gas production of leaves and pods of fodder trees from dry tropic using bovine faeces as inoculums. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.3, pp.421-426. ISSN 0798-7269.

The kinetics of in vitro gas production to achnowledge the nutritional potential of tree leaves and pods that grow in a dry tropical area of Mexico using bovine faeces as inoculum, compared with guinea grass (Panicum maximum) as reference was studied. Leaves and pods were collected from: Prosopis laevigata, Pithecellobium dulce and Pithecellobium acatlense; and only leaves from: Amelanchier denticulata, Verbesiana crocata, Haemotoxylum brasiletto, Acacia bilimekii, Acacia pennatula, Acacia constricta and Lantana velutina. The inoculums were prepared with fresh bovine faeces dissolved in water in 1:3 ratio. Parameters estimated were the maximum gas production (v), the production rate (s) and the lag phase (l). Three species showed low gas values (8,34-11,4 ml) while most were close to those of guinea grass (29 ml) with a similar production rate (0,03 h^-1). In the pods, with exception of Pithecellobium acatlense, the others presented a higher gas production (33,8-46,3 ml) than guinea grass (25,6 ml) with a rate of production similar o greater (0,03 a 0,06 h^-1). The results indicate that the pods of Prosopis laevigata and Pithecellobium dulce have nutritional value superior to that of guinea grass while leaves from Haemotoxylum brasiletto and Prosopis laevigata have a similar value. The gas production technique in vitro allows the estimation of the potential value of non-conventional feed resources

Palabras clave : fodder trees; in vitro gas production; leaves; pods; inoculums.