Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of cutting regime on biomass yield and nutrient composition of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp.) fodder in the Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecological Zone of Ghana. Three cutting regimes (12, 16 and 20 Week After Planting [WAP]) in RCBD were imposed on Cajanus cajan at both initial establishment and regrowth. At each harvest, biomass yield was estimated after which samples of the fodder were separated into leaf and stem botanical fractions for chemical composition and in vitro digestibility. Cutting regime significantly affected plant height, number of branches and stem diameter in both the initial establishment and regrowth. Biomass yield was significantly affected by cutting regime in the initial establishment but not the regrowth. The biomass yield was highest in the harvest at 20WAP (6515kgDM/ha) while 12WAP (3175 kg/ha) recorded the lowest biomass yield in the initial establishment. All chemical composition parameters were significantly affected by cutting regime and botanical fractions except hemicellulose in the initial establishment. Cutting regime also significantly affected DM, CP and ash concentrations in the regrowth with botanical fraction significantly (P < 0.05) influencing CP, NDF, ADF and ash. The highest CP was obtained in the leaf fraction harvested at 12 WAP and 20 WAP in the initial establishment and regrowth respectively. Cutting regime, botanical fraction and their interaction were significant in gas produced at 24 h, SCFA and ME in both the initial establishment and regrowth stages. In conclusion, harvest at 20WAP produced the highest biomass yield but lower CP in the initial establishment whiles in the regrowth, harvest at 20WAP produced higher biomass yield, CP and ME.
Highlights
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), is a perennial leguminous crop with several uses: grain, vegetable, animal feed, green manure, and firewood (Gowda et al 2012)
Plants cut at 16WAP had significantly higher number of branches in the initial establishment while no significant difference existed in plants harvested at 12WAP and 20WAP
The highest plant height and biomass yield were recorded in the harvest at 20 WAP whiles harvesting at 16 WAP had the highest number of branches and stem diameter
Summary
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), is a perennial leguminous crop with several uses: grain, vegetable, animal feed, green manure, and firewood (Gowda et al 2012). It is one of the best drought-resistant legumes (Bidlack et al 2006) and is often the only grain plant that provides some grain yield for the period of dry spells when other legumes such as field beans have wilted and possibly dried up (Sharma et al 2011). Pigeon pea fodder may be used in ruminant diets as a protein supplement even at higher levels of inclusion without any detrimental effect. Sheep and goats in Ghana, have been found to select leaves of Pigeon pea in preference to other legumes (Karbo et al 1998)
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