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NUTRITIVE VALUE OF MARGINAL LAND  GRASSES OF NORTHERN GRASSLANDS OF PAKISTAN

JAVED IQBAL SULTAN^*, INAM-UR-RAHIM^*, HAQ NAWAZ^* AND MUHAMMAD YAQOOB^** 

Abstract :A study was conducted in the valley of Chagharzai in Bunair district lying in the north Trans-Himalayan moist zone occupying Malakand Division, North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan to determine the nutritive value of locally available  marginal land  grasses. The study area lies between 34.42 to 34.66^o latitude and 72.62 to 72.78^o longitude, having a humid subtropical to temperate environment. The annual precipitation varies from 600 to 1000 mm, mainly during summer and spring. Twelve marginal land grasses were identified and analyzed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), hemi-cellulose, and lignin contents. The mean percentage values for DM, OM, ash, CP, NDF, ADF, hemi-cellulose and lignin at early bloom  stage were 30.1±1.08, 27.6±0.92, 8.1±0.33, 8.7±0.39, 52.3±0.25, 25.8±1.36, 26.6±1.75 and 3.7±0.17, respectively. The mean percentage values for DM, OM, ash, CP, NDF, ADF, hemi-cellulose and lignin at mature stage were 39.4±0.75, 36.1±0.67, 8.2±0.28, 5.7±0.25, 60.9±2.04, 31.1±1.22, 29.8±2.27 and 4.5±0.19, respectively. In marginal land grasses highest (p<0.05) potential intake rate (PIR) was observed for Cynodon dactylon (55.25±12.26 g/4 minute) and the lowest PIR value was for Andropogon squarrosus (7.30±2.39 g/4 minute). The relative preference (RP) was highest for Setaria pumila (83.4±2.42%) and lowest  for  Andropogon squarrosus (2.25±0.66%). The mean In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) of marginal land grasses at early bloom stage were 58.4±2.05% and 7.74±0.29 MJ/kg DM, respectively, whereas, mean IVDMD and ME at mature stage were 43.3±1.89% and 5.64±0.25 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The chemical and structural composition, IVDMD, RP and PIR values indicate that marginal land grasses be fed to livestock with some supplementation for different levels of production and types of livestock.

^*Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040 Pakistan
^**Department of Livestock Management, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040 Pakistan
Corresponding author e-mail: dr_haq_nawaz@yahoo.com