Assessment Of The Nutrient Value Of Some Browse Plants In Umudike South Easthern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Seventeen browse plants eaten by cattle in Umudike, Aha State were subjected to nutritional evaluation. The browsed plants were classified on basis of frequency of browsing into heavily, moderately and occasionally browsed. The highest and lowest crude protein values WCIC obtained ir Napoleona vogelii (25.55%) and Giwi pube6cfls/Ure1 Iobtà (13.65%) respectively. The average crude oteifl OP (%) content was highest in the occasionally browsed species (18.60%) while the corresponding values for the heavily and moderately browsed plants were 17.92 and 18.35% respectively. The calculated in vitro organic matter digestibility (lVOMD) was however, highest for the heavily browsed species (51.35%), followed by moderately browsed (50.54%) and the occasionally browsed (48.69%). Generally, the calcium content of the heavily browsed (1 .57%) was higher than levels obtained in either the moderteJy browsed (1.38%) or occasionally browsed (1.46%), but phosphorus contents were slightly higher in moderately browsed species (0.39%) than either in the heavily or occasionally browsed (0.37%) species. The digestible crude protein ranged from 13.14% in the heavily browsed species to 13.78% in the occasionally browsed plants. The acid and neutral detergent fibre values were 48.05, 55.37; 41.60, 48.20 and 48.65, 46.75% for the heavily, moderately and occasionally browsed species, respectively.