Abstract
In silvopastoral systems, high nutritional quality shrub legumes represent an alternative to shortage of grasses in dry periods of the year. The effect of different regrowth ages (6, 9, 12 and 15 weeks) in three climatic seasons (rainy, winter and dry seasons, 2007-2008) of four <em>Cratylia argentea</em> accessions (18516, 18666, 18668 and 18676) were evaluated in Veracruz, Mexico, for dry matter yield (DMY), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (Lig), crude protein (CP) and in situ DM degradation (ISDMD). Dry matter yield (mean ± standard error) was affected by season and regrowth age, but not by accession or interactions. The dry season showed the largest DMY (3632 ± 306 kg·ha-1), representing 45 % of total forage yield, followed by the rainy (33 %, 2615±188 kg·ha-1) and winter (22 %; 1733 ± 61 kg·ha-1) seasons. For NDF, ADF, Lig and CP, statistical effects were found for regrowth age in all three seasons. The largest ISDMD occurred in the rainy and dry seasons, reaching average values of 66 and 65 % at 72 h of incubation, respectively. The dry season was the best period for DMY and ISDMD, making <em>Cratylia argentea</em> a reliable feed resource for silvopastoral systems.
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