PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF UNCULTIVATED FORAGES AS AFFECTED BY POULTRY MANURE IN ALIERO LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF KEBBI STATE

Abstract

Adequate management of grasslands are crucial for efficient supply of quality uncultivated forages that will support optimum livestock production. Therefore, the proximate composition of uncultivated forage species as affected by varying levels of poultry manure was investigated in the semi-arid area of Aliero LGA of Kebbi State at the Botanical Garden of Kebbi State University of Science and Technology during the 2021 rainy season. Treatments consisted of two varying poultry manure rates (0.00kg/T and 1.50kg/T) representing treatments 1 and 2 respectively which were applied two weeks before the commencement of the experiment, on two blocks consisting of three plots per block with each plot measuring (2.5m x 1.5m). The plots were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). All the free growing natural pasture within each plot were cleared to allow regrowth under rain-fed regime. There were two (2) weeks fortnightly visits to observe the regrowth of the forage species and to remove weeds from the experimental plots and to clear the paths which lasted for nine weeks. After nine weeks of free growth, one (1) replicate from each treatment was randomly selected for herbage harvest with the use of a sharp sickle. The cut forages were oven dried at 650 C for 48 hours to determine the proximate composition. The dominant forage species identified are; two forbs (Euphobia convolvuloides and Sida cordifolia), three grasses (Eragrotis tremula, Axonopus spp and Pennisetum horndeoides) and one legume (Crotalaria spp). The poultry manure application rates had significant (p<0.05) effect on the proximate composition of the uncultivated forage species with the highest CP (15.90%) and NFC (68.60%) were recorded for Crotalaria spp and Axonopus spp respectively. The study indicated a positive response of the uncultivated forages to poultry manure application for better proximate composition.