Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa)
Along the coast of West Africa, grazing ruminants rely on perennial forage species remaining in uncultivated plots, roadsides, and marshlands during the dry season. To assess the quality of these forages, thirteen drought-tolerant plants were harvested at the mature stage, and the samples were evalu...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3550 |
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| author | Bossima Ivan Koura Alessandro Vastolo Dieu donné Kiatti Monica Isabella Cutrignelli Marcel Houinato Serena Calabrò |
| author_facet | Bossima Ivan Koura Alessandro Vastolo Dieu donné Kiatti Monica Isabella Cutrignelli Marcel Houinato Serena Calabrò |
| author_sort | Bossima Ivan Koura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Along the coast of West Africa, grazing ruminants rely on perennial forage species remaining in uncultivated plots, roadsides, and marshlands during the dry season. To assess the quality of these forages, thirteen drought-tolerant plants were harvested at the mature stage, and the samples were evaluated for chemical composition, in vitro fermentation characteristics, and metabolizable energy (ME) content. They are ten drought-tolerant grasses, including: <i>Andropogon virginicus</i>, <i>Brachiaria deflexa</i>, <i>Cenchorus biflorus</i>, <i>Dactyloctenium aegyptium</i>, <i>Eragrostis tremula</i>, <i>Leptochloa caerulescens</i>, <i>Loudetia aroundinacea</i>, <i>Paspalum notatum</i>, <i>Paspalum vaginatum</i>, <i>Pennisetum purpureum</i>, two perennial herbs, <i>Chamaecrista rotundifolia</i>, <i>Zornia latifolia</i>, and one multipurpose tree, <i>Elaeis guineensis</i>. Legume species had the highest nutritional value (highest crude protein and ME, and lowest neutral detergent fiber) of the species studied. In terms of the in vitro data, the gas produced after 120 h of incubation ranged from 149 mL/g in <i>E. tremula</i> to 185 mL/g in <i>Paspalum</i>. <i>Z. latifoliaa</i> and had the fastest rate of fermentation, producing half of the total gas in 19.5 h, whereas <i>E. tremula</i> required 49.9 h (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The production of branched-chain fatty acids (isobutyrate and isovalerate) was greatest for <i>E. guineensis</i> and the lowest in both Paspalum species (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The study suggests the need for the protein supplementation of the animals to ensure maximum forage utilization and to satisfy the nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
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| spelling | doaj.art-8b83132ff6de4983806ed0652dcebbf52023-11-24T12:51:41ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-12-011224355010.3390/ani12243550Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa)Bossima Ivan Koura0Alessandro Vastolo1Dieu donné Kiatti2Monica Isabella Cutrignelli3Marcel Houinato4Serena Calabrò5Ecole de Gestion et d’Exploitation de Système d’Elevage, Université Nationale d’Agriculture, Ketou P.O. Box 43, BeninDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, ItalyEcole de Gestion et d’Exploitation de Système d’Elevage, Université Nationale d’Agriculture, Ketou P.O. Box 43, BeninDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, ItalyFaculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou P.O. Box 2839, BeninDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, F. Delpino 1, 80137 Napoli, ItalyAlong the coast of West Africa, grazing ruminants rely on perennial forage species remaining in uncultivated plots, roadsides, and marshlands during the dry season. To assess the quality of these forages, thirteen drought-tolerant plants were harvested at the mature stage, and the samples were evaluated for chemical composition, in vitro fermentation characteristics, and metabolizable energy (ME) content. They are ten drought-tolerant grasses, including: <i>Andropogon virginicus</i>, <i>Brachiaria deflexa</i>, <i>Cenchorus biflorus</i>, <i>Dactyloctenium aegyptium</i>, <i>Eragrostis tremula</i>, <i>Leptochloa caerulescens</i>, <i>Loudetia aroundinacea</i>, <i>Paspalum notatum</i>, <i>Paspalum vaginatum</i>, <i>Pennisetum purpureum</i>, two perennial herbs, <i>Chamaecrista rotundifolia</i>, <i>Zornia latifolia</i>, and one multipurpose tree, <i>Elaeis guineensis</i>. Legume species had the highest nutritional value (highest crude protein and ME, and lowest neutral detergent fiber) of the species studied. In terms of the in vitro data, the gas produced after 120 h of incubation ranged from 149 mL/g in <i>E. tremula</i> to 185 mL/g in <i>Paspalum</i>. <i>Z. latifoliaa</i> and had the fastest rate of fermentation, producing half of the total gas in 19.5 h, whereas <i>E. tremula</i> required 49.9 h (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The production of branched-chain fatty acids (isobutyrate and isovalerate) was greatest for <i>E. guineensis</i> and the lowest in both Paspalum species (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The study suggests the need for the protein supplementation of the animals to ensure maximum forage utilization and to satisfy the nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3550drought-tolerant plants<i>Andropogon virginicus</i><i>Cenchrus biflorus</i><i>Zornia latifolia</i>in vitro organic matter degradabilitydrylands |
| spellingShingle | Bossima Ivan Koura Alessandro Vastolo Dieu donné Kiatti Monica Isabella Cutrignelli Marcel Houinato Serena Calabrò Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) Animals drought-tolerant plants <i>Andropogon virginicus</i> <i>Cenchrus biflorus</i> <i>Zornia latifolia</i> in vitro organic matter degradability drylands |
| title | Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) |
| title_full | Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) |
| title_short | Nutritional Value of Climate-Resilient Forage Species Sustaining Peri-Urban Dairy Cow Production in the Coastal Grasslands of Benin (West Africa) |
| title_sort | nutritional value of climate resilient forage species sustaining peri urban dairy cow production in the coastal grasslands of benin west africa |
| topic | drought-tolerant plants <i>Andropogon virginicus</i> <i>Cenchrus biflorus</i> <i>Zornia latifolia</i> in vitro organic matter degradability drylands |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3550 |
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