Preliminary evaluation of potential fodder quality in a range of Leucaena species

Twenty-two taxa and five interspecific hybrids of Leucaena, grown together on a site in Houduras, were evaluated in terms of their potential value as tropical fodder crops. Content of crude protein, organic matter, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, total tannin and condensed tannin (proanthocyanidin), as well as in vitro digestibility, were estimated in dried leaf samples, and the accessions ranked according to each of these criteria. The relative palatability of thirteen of the taxa and two of the hybrids was also assessed in a 'cafeteria' trial using fresh leaf material fed to sheep over an 18 day period. Protein, digestibility and palatability estimates, together with previously published yield data, were used to construct three indices of fodder potential, to allow direct comparisons between taxa. The most promising taxa according to these criteria included L. shannonii subsp. shannonii, L. collinsii subsp. zacapana and L. multicapitula, all of which achieved higher scores than the much better-known L. leucocephala subsp. glabrata in the index derived from crude protein and digestibility. When yield and palatability were included in the indices, the very high palatability of L. leucocephala gave it the highest score overall. The most unpromising taxa included L. pulverulenta, L. trichandra, L. esculenta (subsp. esculenta and subsp. matudae), and L. greggii.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]