COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE QUALITY OF LABLAB (Lablab purpureus L. Sweet) SILAGE AND HAY MADE BY UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS

Abstract

Lablab purpureus which may yield over 60 and 15 tonnes ha-1 of fresh and dry herbage respectively can be conserved as silage during the rainy season for feeding ruminants in the dry season. A two-year study evaluated the effect of four forage conservation methods (3-silage and 1-hay) on the proximate parameters of conserved lablab. Minimal spoilage losses due to termites was observed in silage produced on bare ground surface. The proximate parameters were more favourable in the case of lablab silage than hay with crude protein concentration (14.7%) being 80% higher in the silage than in hay (8.1%). Among the different silage production methods bag ensiling was superior because of the ease of handling and the higher crude protein concentration(23.4%) which is more than adequate for ruminant lactation (12%) and growth (11.3%). Protein concentrate supplementation may be unnecessary when bag ensiled lablab silage is used for dry season feeding of livestock. Cutting lablab at 12 weeks after sowing for silage production is advantageous and may reduce crude protein wastages by over 20% while ensuring up to 37% of the expected seed yield of lablab at maturity.