
Diversifying feed with non-traditional options could minimize the dependency on traditional sources, maintain the feed supply throughout the year, and potentially reduce the cost of raising animals. A total of eight forage legumes including Peltophorum pterocarpum, Neptunia monosperma, Vachellia sutherlandii (Corkwood), Gliricidia sepium, Bauhinia hookeri and three Desmanthus species (JCU4, JCU5 and JCU9) were collected to assess their in vitro fermentability, degradable and undegradable protein fractions using in vitro gas production method. Soybean meal and lucerne hay were used as control. The total gas production ranged from 12.8 mL/g in P. pterocarpum to 127.3 mL/g in soybean meal. The total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration from G. sepium (117.7 mM/L) and V. sutherlandii (111.3 mM/L) were larger than other legumes except for soybean meal (157.1 mM/L) and lucerne hay (130.4 mM/L), P < 0.001. The methane gas produced from B. hookeri and P. pterocarpum (0.39 and 0.32 mL/g) was lower than other feeds, P < 0.001. The V. sutherlandii (720 g/kg crude protein (CP)) and G. sepium (745 g/kg CP) had the greatest effective CP degradation (EPD) than other legume species examined, P < 0.001, which was approaching that measured in the control samples. The amount of protein fraction ‘a’ (rapidly degradable) was larger in JCU9 (551 g/kg CP), and G. sepium (472 g/kg CP), and lower in B. hookeri (10.9 g/kg CP) and P. pterocarpum (14.8 g/kg CP), P < 0.001. The V. sutherlandii (386 g/kg CP) and G. sepium (272 g/kg CP) exceeded other legumes in the proportion of fraction ‘b’ (slowly degradable), P < 0.001, but not the controls. The undegradable fraction increased with increasing phenolic content and reached more than 940 g/kg CP for both B. hookeri and P. pterocarpum. The Desmanthus cultivars showed intermediate values among the tested legumes in fermentation characteristics and shows potential to provide slowly degradable protein while reducing methane. The findings indicate the possibility of using V. ...
570, Gas production, Ammonia -N, Soybean meal, Condensed tannin, Alternative legumes, Methane, 630
570, Gas production, Ammonia -N, Soybean meal, Condensed tannin, Alternative legumes, Methane, 630
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