Abstract
Keynote paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.While Leucaena leucocephala grows wild in Thailand, some Leucaena spp. have been introduced and evaluated for their edible forage yield and quality. Experiments on appropriate management were performed in different environments and productivity was found to be affected by species or cultivar. Environmental conditions, plant spacing, age of plant and cutting height significantly affected growth and performance. Edible forage yield was in the range of 5‒6 t DM/ha/yr. Most species and cultivars contain high protein concentrations and are suitable for use as feed supplements as well as total ration for livestock. The effects of leucaena feeding on livestock are shown in lower mortality and increased productivity. While the leaf meal processing of leucaena for livestock feeding is increasingly recognized and practiced, cultivation of this crop is still minimal and insignificant. The role and importance of leucaena for livestock production, as well as its nutritional quality and factors which limit its use, are reviewed. The need for increased cultivation and integration of leucaena into local farming systems is emphasized. There is an urgent need to increase research support for the efficient cultivation of leucaena and an education campaign to dispel concerns about toxicity aspects.
Highlights
Thailand is located at the center of peninsular Southeast Asia occupying 513,120 km2; development has been generally based on agricultural production, which employs 49% of the labor force
Livestock production is very important to the Thai economy; beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats and buffalo are the most important ruminant livestock
Manidool et al (1976) compared 10 varieties of Leucaena leucocephala introduced from Australia, Hawaii, Ivory Coast, Taiwan, El Salvador and New Guinea in Pakchong, Northeast Thailand, where mean annual rainfall is 1,145 mm
Summary
Thailand is located at the center of peninsular Southeast Asia occupying 513,120 km; development has been generally based on agricultural production, which employs 49% of the labor force. Livestock production is very important to the Thai economy; beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats and buffalo are the most important ruminant livestock. In 2017 there were 4,876,228 beef cattle, 584,357 dairy cattle, 1,029,924 buffalo, 652,964 goats and 45,628 sheep (Department of Livestock Development 2018). Beef cattle are fed primarily grass plus agricultural and agro-industrial by-products, while dairy cattle are fed grass, rice straw and concentrates. The leguminous tree Leucaena leucocephala, native to Guatemala and Mexico, was introduced to the Philippines and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, during the period 1565–1825. It was previously used in Thailand for reforestation but was introduced to Thailand as an animal feed in 1962
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