PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOME BROWSE PLANTS GROWING AT BINYAMINU USMAN POLYTECHNIC HADEJIA, NIGERIA

A. S.  Muhammad; M.  Dahiru; N.  Salisu; H. I.  Abdullahi; B.  Shehu; I. L.  Madigawa; A. M.  Gumel; H.  Musa; A.  Abdulaziz; U.  Abdulkadir; U. U.  Sulaiman

Authors

A. S. Muhammad Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
M. Dahiru Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
N. Salisu Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
H. I. Abdullahi Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
B. Shehu Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
I. L. Madigawa Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta, PMB 3159, Dambatta Kano State, Nigeria.
A. M. Gumel Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
H. Musa Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
A. Abdulaziz Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
U. Abdulkadir Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, PMB 013, Hadejia Jigawa State, Nigeria
U. U. Sulaiman Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta, PMB 3159, Dambatta Kano State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Browse plants, Proximate composition, Fibre, Energy, Ruminants

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the proximate composition, fibre fraction and energy contents of three (3) common browse plants growing in Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic Hadejia, Nigeria, in a completely randomized design. The browse plants were; Acacia spp., Piliostigma thonningii and Hygrophila auriculata.

The proximate composition of the browse plants was significantly different (P < 0.05). The average quantity of dry matter content was 94.60% with a minimum and maximum values of 93.10% in Acacia spp. and 96.70% in Piliostigma thonningii, respectively. The crude protein (CP) ranged from a minimum of 10.02% in Piliostigma thonningii to maximum of 12.21% in Acacia spp. The average crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), ash and Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE) of the browse plants were 20.86%, 3.01%, 11.57% and 48.20%, respectively. The fibre fractions and energy contents of the browse plants also significantly differed (P < 0.05). The average

Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) content was 42.87% with a minimum and maximum values of 38.00% in Acacia spp. and 51.00% in Piliostigma thonningii, while the Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF) ranged from minimum of 20.80% in Hygrophila auriculata to a maximum of 43.10% in Piliostigma thonningii. The average ADF content

was 30.23%. The energy content ranged from 998.43kcal/kg in Hygrophila auriculata to 1231.22 in Acacia spp. with an average energy content of 1077.33kcal/kg. The proximate composition of the browse plants revealed that both the dry matter, crude protein and energy contents of the legumes are good enough to facilitate dry season ruminant feeding.