EVALUATION OF EIGHT SELECTED ETHIOPIAN INDIGENOUS FORAGE SPECIES FOR THEIR NUTRITIVE VALUES | Journ

Ethiopia's indigenous forage plants provide for the majority of the cattle feed. Their potential as cattle feed, on the other hand, is frequently neglected. As a result, the purpose of this research is to determine the nutritional value of eight Ethiopian indigenous fodder species. At Wondogent medical field gene bank, the experiment was conducted utilising a completely randomised design. With the exception of Medicago sativa, the results revealed that Pennisetum pedicellatum (91.72%) and Medicago polymorpha (91.68%) had considerably greater dry matter (DM) levels than other forage species (P0.001). Except for Medicago sativa, Pennisetum pedicellatum had the greatest ash content (15.46%) of all the species (P0.001), but Medicago polymorpha had the highest organic matter (OM) content (90.80%). The crude protein content of Vicia species was greater (P0.05). (CP) content was higher (19.03%) than in Medicago sativa (13.57%), Medicago lupulina (12.36%), Medicago polymorpha (11.57%), and Pennisetum pedicellatum (11.57%). (7.47 percent ). Except for Sebania grandiflora, Pennisetum pedicellatum (76.23 percent) had the highest (P0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF), whereas Sesbania sesban had the lowest (P0.05) NDF value. The percentage of acid detergent fibre (ADF) was substantially greater in Medicago lupulina (53.80%), whereas Sesbania sesban had lower ADF (39.42%) and ADF (39.42%). (34.04 percent ). However, there was no significant difference between these two species in terms of acid detergent lignin (ADL), metabolizable energy (ME), or in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM). The intermediate CP and reduced fibre content of these forage plants, with the exception of Pennisetum pedicellatum, imply that they have significant nutritional value and demand special attention.

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