PROMISING TROPICAL GRASSES AND LEGUMES AS FEED RESOURCES IN CENTRAL TANZANIA I - EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CUTTING PATTERNS ON PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE-VALUE OF 6 GRASSES AND 6 LEGUMES

Six grasses: Chloris gayana cv. Samford and cv. Mpwapwa (CG-Mpwapwa), Cenchrus ciliaris cvv. Gayndah and Biloela, Bothriochloa insculpta cv. Hatch and Panicum coloratum cv. Bambatsi; and 6 legumes: Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano, S. scabra cv. Seca, Neonotonia wightii cvv. Tinaro o and Mpwapwa (NW-Mpwapwa), Macrotyloma axillare cv. Archer and Macrop tilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro were investigated in a 2-year study. Cutting regimes for the grasses during the growing season were 4-12-4, 6-8-6, 8-4-8 and 10-10 weeks in 1987/88 and 10-10 weeks in 1988/89; a nd for the legumes were 4-4-4-4, 6-6-6 and 10-10 weeks in 1987/88 and 4-4-4-4, 6-6-6, 8-8-8 and 10-10 weeks in 1988/89. There was a signific ant difference (P<0.05) in DM production between the grass species in both seasons with Bambatsi > Gayndah, Hatch and Samford in 1987/88; an d Bambatsi, Gayndah and Biloela > Hatch and Samford in 1988/89. In 198 7/88, the legumes had similar production except for Archer which produ ced least and in 1988/89, Seca, Verano and Tinaroo were best (P<0.05). Cutting regimes 6-8-6 for the grasses and 10-10 for the legumes (1988 /89) gave the highest mean DM yields (P<0.05). In the grasses, crude p rotein levels declined on average 4% units and in vitro digestibility 13% units between 4 and 10 weeks of age. In the legumes, the correspon ding decreases were only 2 and 4% units, respectively.