GENETIC-VARIATION IN MINERALS, CRUDE PROTEIN AND STRUCTURAL CARBOHYDRATES OF FOLIAGE IN PROVENANCES OF YOUNG PLANTS OF PROSOPIS-CINERARIA (L) DRUCE IN INDIA

Prosopis cineraria is an important species for aridzone agroforestry i n India. Information on the chemical composition and nutritive value o f the leaves of young trees that will be useful in screening the prove nances, is lacking. Chemical composition (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na), crude protein, and structural carbohydrates (neutral detergent fibre, acid d etergent fibre, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) of the foliage o f one-year-old plants of 31 provenances of Prosopis cineraria were det ermined. The seeds were collected from 16 degrees 50' N to 29 degrees 55' N latitude and 69 degrees 49' E to 78 degrees 03' E longitude in I ndia, and grown at Hisar (29 degrees 10' N latitude, 75 degrees 46' E longitude and 215 m altitude). Mineral contents (except N and P), crud e protein, and structural carbohydrates varied significantly (p < 0.05 ) between provenances, and the greatest amount of N, P, crude protein, NDF, ADF and lignin contents were found in Hisar provenance. The in v itro dry matter digestibility varied from 18.2% in Gandhinagar provena nce to 34.0% in that of Barmer provenance.