Performance Evaluation of Improved Forage Trees (Sesbania sesban) Cultivars for Animal feed and Nutritional Quality in Highlands of East Hararghe Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the biomass yield and adaptability of five accession with one local check of Sesbania (Sesbania sesban) at Highland of Eastern Hararghe Zone in 2017/18 and 2018/19 G.C cropping season consecutive years on-FTC in Burka Jalala PA. The treatments evaluated were S.sesban 15019, S.sesban 10865, S.sesban 15036, S.sesban 10885, S.sesban 1238 and local check in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The biomass yield, plant height, stem weight, leaf to stem ratio (LSR) were taken at Annual. The analysis result indicated in Table (1) showed that there was significant (P < 0.05) variation among the accession in fresh leaf weight, fresh stem weight and percent of leaf to stem ratio. The results indicated that the maximum fresh leaf biomass yield of the accession S.sesban 1238 (7.91 ton ha -1 ), flowed by accessions S.sesban 10885 (7.23 ton ha -1 ). The results showed that the maximum leaf to stem ratio were recorded under accession S.sesban 10865(28.67%), S.sesban 15019(27.66%) and S.sesban 1238(31.33%). A significant variation (p < 0.05) among the content of total ash and Acid detergent lignin. The maximum Acid detergent lignin obtained from S.sesban 15036(22.746%), and the minimum Acid detergent lignin obtained from S.sesban 1238(14.875%) and S.sesban 10885(14.874%). It was concluded that the accessions S.sesban 1238 and S.sesban 10885 were found promising to be demonstrated under in the study areas and same agro-climatic conditions similar to study area. was tested in the Highland of east Hararghe zone of Oromia regional state. The result showed that significant (P < 0.05) variation among the accession of Sesbania, among the parameters of; Dry leaf weight, fresh stem weight and percent of leaf to stem ratio. Among the tested fodder tree (Sesbania sesban) S.sesban 1238 and S.sesban 10885 Accession have greater performances in terms of their high dry Biomass yield, leaf to stem ratio and better agronomic parameters and quality forage. Therefore it was concluded that the accessions S.sesban 1238 and S.sesban promising to be demonstrated in the study area and under the same agro-climatic conditions and better to popularize for their livestock with poor quality (crop residues) as feed to enhance