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NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF FODDER TREE LEAVES OF NORTHERN GRASSLANDS OF PAKISTAN

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

Abstract: The Intent of this experiment was to figure out the nutritive value of fodder tree leaves of Chagharzai vlley in Bunair district, North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. Leaves of 12 fodder trees (Grewia oppsitifolia, Morus alba, Betula celtis, Celtus australis, Diospyros lotus, Aesculus indica, Celtis caucasica, Robinia pseudoacacia, Olea ferruginea, Melia azedarach, Ailanthus chinensis and Quercus incana) were selected 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 were 27.65±1.64, 26.87±1.37, 5.72±0.43, 14.29±1.00, 55.50±1.82, 28.83±1.63, 26.67±1.09 and 6.02±0.54, respectively. In fodder tree leaves the highest potential intake rate (PIR) was observed for Grewia oppsitifolia (72.80±16.35 g/4 minute) and the lowest for Quercus incana (18.24±2.38 g/4 minute). The relative preference (RP) was the highest for Betula celtis (84.25±1.50%) and the lowest for Quercus incana  (2.08±0.24%). The mean In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) of fodder tree leaves were 54.16±2.06% and 7.24±0.30 MJ/kg DM, respectively.The chemical and structural composition, IVDMD, RP and PIR values indicate that  fodder tree leaves can 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

^***Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Corresponding author e-mail: dr_haq_nawaz@yahoo.com