CORRELATION COEFFICIENT) BETWEEN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND IN VITRO GAS PRODUCTION AND FERMENTATION CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME SELECTED FICUS SPECIES

Abstract

In vitro gas production and fermentation of five ficus species was determined using the in vitro gas production technique. The result showed that all ficus species leaves studied have high dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) acid detergent lignin (ADL) and low total condensed tannin and phenolics. The values for the fermentation characteristics was generally low for all the Ficus species. The results showed that Ficus damarensis at all incubation times except 12 h had the highest cumulative gas production. The correlation coefficient (r) showed positive relationship between CP and gas production and fermentation characteristics except for 96 h and T values. ADL is positively correlated and highly significant at 24, 48 and 72 h incubation period and insoluble but degradable fraction (b) and potential gas production. Phenolics is negatively correlated and highly significant at 3 and 6 h incubation period. It can be concluded that chemical composition and in vitro digestibility can be considered useful indicators for evaluating the nutritive value of forages.