Chemical-nutritional composition of maniçoba (Manihot sp.) and its relationship with soil chemical characteristics

Alexandro Pereira Andrade,Ivandro De França Da Silva,Divan Soares Da Silva,Edson Mauro Santos,Riselane De Lucena Alcântara Bruno,Alberício Pereira De Andrade,Elizanilda Ramalho Do Rêgo

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982014000400001

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of leaves of manicoba (Manihot sp.) according to their development stage and their relationship with the soil characteristics. For this purpose, plants in their natural growth areas in the semiarid region of Paraiba State, Brazil, were sampled. Leaves of manicoba collected in five different locations at four different development stages were harvested and characterized: expanding leaf, completely expanded leaf, leaf at the beginning of senescence and a pool (mixture of all leaves). The evaluated traits were: dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent insoluble protein, acid detergent insoluble protein, ash, lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and sodium. The experimental design adopted was completely randomized, in a 4 × 5 factorial arrangement: four leaf development stages and five locations, respectively; each plot had 10 replications. There was interaction effect between leaf development stage and locations on dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent insoluble protein and acid detergent insoluble protein. The results for neutral detergent fiber of leaves at the beginning of senescence were higher than other treatments and similar to the pool, while the acid detergent fiber content of the leaves in early senescence was higher than those of other treatments, averaging 34.8%. Crude protein content had its highest percentage in expanding leaves, averaging 23.0%. Nitrogen, potassium and sodium data showed interaction between the leaf types and locations of harvest, while phosphorus and sulfur did not show interaction. The chemical and mineral composition of manicoba leaves range according to their development phase and according to their soil and climatic conditions in places of natural occurrence, with a tendency towards reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus as they approach senescence.

Highlights

The Brazilian semiarid region encompasses an area of 92.5 million hectares, which corresponds to approximately 10% of the territory of the country, where animal husbandry stands out as one of the main activities of its economy
The dry matter of the plants sampled in Monteiro and Campina Grande showed high values in all leaf development stages
For the completely expanded leaves (CEL), there was no significant difference in Campina Grande, Monteiro and Barra de Santa Rosa

Summary

Introduction

The Brazilian semiarid region encompasses an area of 92.5 million hectares, which corresponds to approximately 10% of the territory of the country, where animal husbandry stands out as one of the main activities of its economy. Goat-sheep farming is one the most important socioeconomic alternatives, mainly in family agriculture. This activity has been limited by the low forage availability, especially during the long dry periods and the inappropriate animal management, misuse of the existing forage resources of the region and poor use of the forages conserved as hay and silage, in addition to the high cost of rations. The caatinga, predominant vegetation type in the Brazilian semiarid, is a plant formation rich in diversities of species of both woody and annual herbaceous plants. The vegetation established in this environment reflects heterogeneity in its physiognomic types, in its floristic composition, in its relative abundance and in the population dynamics (Araujo et al, 2007)

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