Abstracto

Seasonal variation in Nutritional value of major browse species in North Western, Ethiopia

Sosena Fentahun

The experiment was conducted to evaluate effect of season on chemical composition, in vitro dry matter digestibility and in sacco dry matter degradability of browse species. Sample foliage of ten browse trees/shrubs were collected in the field for evaluations in both dry and wet season from five kebeles in Bahir Dar Zuria District. Data were analyzed by statistical analysis system. The chemical composition except dry matter in the wet season, in vitro digestibility and in sacco dry matter degradability except degradation rate significantly (P<0.05) differed between seasons. In the dry season dry matter, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin and ash were highest while organic matter, crude protien and hemi-cellulose were in the wet season. In vitro dry matter digestibility ranging from 282 to 694 g/kg dry matter during the wet season and from 239 to 683 g/kg dry matter during the dry season. For most studied browse trees shrubs, in sacco dry matter degredability were higher in the wet season than in the dry season at different rumen incubation hours. The study revealed that evaluation of nutritional value from different browse trees/shrubs and seasons can be a good indicator for linking nutritional quality and seasonal factors. Further study on individual mineral content, anti-nutritional factors and feeding trial of top quality browse species are important