Pigeonpea Nutrition and Its Improvement

Abstract

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan [L.] Millsp.), known by several vernacular and trade names such as red gram, tuar, Angola pea, Congo pea, yellow dhal and oil dhal, is one of the major grain legume crops of the tropics and sub-tropics. It is a favorite crop of small holder dryland farmers because it can grow well under subsistence level of agriculture and provides nutritive food, fodder, and fuel wood. It also improves soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. India by far is the largest pigeonpea producer where it is consumed as decorticated split peas, popularly called as ‘dhal’ In other countries, its consumption as whole dry seed and green vegetable is popular. Its foliage is used as fodder and milling by-products form an excellent feed for domestic animals. Pigeonpea seeds contain about 20-22% protein and appreciable amounts of essential amino acids and minerals. Dehulling and boiling treatments of seeds get rid of the most antinutritional factors such as tannins and enzyme inhibitors. Seed storage causes considerable losses in the quality of this legume. The seed protein of pigeonpea has been successfully enhanced by breeding from 20-22% to 28-30%. Such lines also agronomically performed well and have acceptable seed size and color. The high-protein lines were found nutritionally superior to the cultivars because they would provide more quantities of utilizable protein and sulfur-containing amino acids.     

甜菜吸收植酸能力及植酸酶效应研究

采用土培盆法进行了甜菜对外加有机磷－植酸的吸收利用特点和植酸酶对改善甜菜磷素营养及生产产量等效应的研究，结果表明：甜菜能在一定程度上吸收利用上土壤外源植酸态磷，其生产产量效果烛施等量无机磷的７０％以上；植酸酶的应用能显著加有机磷的水解，增加溶液中磷的含量，促进甜根系生长发育，提高磷吸收速度，增加磷的吸收量，并最终体现在生产产量的增加；植酸酶的效果随配施的植酸量的增加而增加，当配施的杆得达到６０ｍｇ     

开发优质饲用灌木建立长期人工灌草丛草地

针对广西草地基况低劣和补播优良牧草改良山地草地特别是石灰岩草易退化的现状，并根据部分天然石灰岩草地补播优质豆科饲用灌木建立人工灌草从草地的初实践，提出了用速生、高产、优质、耐旱、耐瘠薄、侵占性和竞争力都极强的优质饲用灌木建立人工灌草丛草地的发言奶措施。     

引进开发推广适用农机具促进甜菜生产发展

介绍了包头华资实业股份有限公司在甜菜生产中引进、开发、推广的适用农机具及其应用效果,并提出了今后进一步发展的对策与建议。     

Establishment and early growth characteristics of six Paulownia genotypes for goat browse in Raleigh, NC, USA

Meat goat production in the eastern USA is increasing as a result of growing demand from various ethnic groups. Because goats naturally prefer a high proportion of browse in their diets, research was initiated to investigate various silvopastoral production systems. The genus Paulownia contains several species which exhibit rapid juvenile growth and other characteristics that justify research into their potential use in meat goat feeding systems. In May 1997, six Paulownia genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block experiment with six replications. Trees were between 6 and 12 cm in height at planting. Genotypes included: P. fortunei seedlings, P. tomentosa seedlings, P. elongata seedlings and three P. elongata clones. Each 4-m wide plot contained a single row of 12 trees with an intra-row spacing of 1 m. Plant measurements included height, root collar diameter (RCD) at 3 cm above soil surface, and the number of main branches. Leaf samples were collected from all six replications for estimates of herbage quality. During 1998, trees were browsed with goats on two occasions to assess palatability of the herbage and to determine any preference for specific genotypes by the animals. Compared with seedling trees of all three species, the three P. elongata clones were taller (clones: 79.7 cm, seedlings: 55.9 cm; P < 0.01), had larger RCDs (clones: 18.4 mm, seedlings: 13.9 mm; P < 0.01) and had a higher branching frequency (clones: 4.9, seedlings: 1.5; P < 0.01) by the end of the first growing season. Mortality averaged 4.8% across all treatments and ranged between 0 and 8%. Early in the 1998 growing season before trees were browsed, P. elongata clones grew more rapidly than seedlings (clones: 116.4 cm, seedlings: 84.1 cm; P < 0.01). Estimates of herbage quality indicated favorable concentrations of energy and protein for lamina. In vitro true dry matter disappearance ranged from 85.4 (blades) to 71.5% (petioles) and crude protein from 25.1 (blades) to 4.9% (petioles). Animals readily browsed the lamina during two separate sessions, but no clear preference trends were observed among the different Paulownia genotypes.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Traditional agroforestry practices in Zimbabwe

Traditional agroforestry systems in the communal areas of Zimbabwe are described. There are systems centered on main fields, on home gardens, on homesites and on grazing areas. In the main fields, the major tree-related management practice is the conservation of preferred indigenous fruit trees. Fruit trees are also the focus of forestry activities around the gardens and the homesite; but here it is the planting of exotic species. In a localized area of Zimbabwe Acacia albida is important in fields. There is almost no use of tree fallows in Zimbabwe. Trees in grazing areas have numerous roles, but at present there is little knowledge about traditional management practices in these areas. In the development of agroforestry systems in Zimbabwe it is suggested that those systems designed to improve fodder production will make a significant contribution to farm productivity because of the importance of cattle in the farming system and the present fodder shortage. Interventions involving the planting of fruit trees are likely to be very successful, as there is much interest in such planting. Another area that needs to be developed is that of tree plantings to improve soil fertility.     

A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design

The potential of hedgerow intecrropping with Leucaena leucocephala was explored on vertic Inceptisols over 4 years at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India. The study was conducted using a systematic layout involving different alley widths ranging from 1.35 to 4.95 m and with varying distances between hedge and crops. The alleys were cropped with alternate rows of sorghum and pigeonpea. Hedges composed double Leucaena hedgerows 60 cm apart were periodically harvested for fodder. Sole crops of all components and a sorghum/pigeonpea intercrop were included in all four replications of the study.Starting in the second year, Leucaena was progressively more competitive to annual crops, causing substantial yield reduction. Competition (primarily for moisture) was most severe in narrow alleys and was greatest on pigeonpea.The growth of Leucaena was not sufficient to compensate for reduced crop yields. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) calculated on the basis of grain yield of crops and Leucaena fodder yields showed that hedgerow intercropping (HI) was advantageous over sole crops only during the first two years using wide alleys, but disadvantegeous in the last two years. LERs calculated on the basis of total dry matter indicated only a small advantage for HI (13–17 percent) over sole crops in wider (>4 m) alleys. Average returns per year from HI exceeded those of the most productive annual crop system (sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping) by 8 percent in 4.05 m alleys, and by 16 percent in 4.95 m alleys. Fodder production during the dry season was 40 percent of the annual total in these alley widths. Thus hedgerow intercropping at 4–5 m alley width is not very attractive for farmers in semi-arid India, which has 600–700 mm of annual rainfall. There is a need to examine the potential of HI in wider alleys. The merits and limitations of the systematic design are discussed.     

Genetic variation in minerals,crude protein and structural carbohydrates of foliage in provenances of young plants ofProsopis cineraria (L.) Druce in India

Prosopis cineraria is an important species for aridzone agroforestry in India. Information on the chemical composition and nutritive value of the leaves of young trees that will be useful in screening the provenances, is lacking. Chemical composition (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na), crude protein, and structural carbohydrates (neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) of the foliage of one-year-old plants of 31 provenances ofProsopis cineraria were determined. The seeds were collected from 16°50 N to 29°55 N latitude and 69°49 E to 78°03 E longitude in India, and grown at Hisar (29°10 N latitude, 75°46 E longitude and 215 m altitude). Mineral contents (except N and P), crude protein, and structural carbohydrates varied significantly (p<0.05) between provenances, and the greatest amount of N, P, crude protein, NDF, ADF and lignin contents were found in Hisar provenance. The in vitro dry matter digestibility varied from 18.2% in Gandhinagar provenance to 34.0% in that of Barmer provenance.     

An agroforestry practice for the development of salt lands usingProsopis juliflora andLeptochloa fusca

High salt concentration in the soil is a serious problem in vast areas of otherwise productive agricultural lands in India. Establishment of salt tolerant vegetation could be an effective way of ameliorating this problem. In an 8-year field trial on an alkali soil, growth and biomass production ofProsopis juliflora was greater in sole stand than when interplanted with the grassLeptochloa fusca, but soil improvement was greater for the mixed tree-grass treatment.Prosopis accumulated substantially more biomass nutrients when in sole stand, but total nutrient recycling was similar with and without grass. Less salt tolerant but more palatable fodder crops such asTrifolium resupinatum, T. alexandrium andMelilotus denticulata were successfully grown withProsopis after removingL. fusca in theProsopis plus grass treatment 50 months after commencement. Tentative economic analysis suggests theProsopis plus grass system gives higher returns. TheProsopis-Leptochloa system combines production with biological reclamation, and is an appropriate form of reclamation agroforestry for alkali lands.     

4种饲用树木在河北坝上地区的引种初报

报道了蒙古岩黄芪、细枝岩黄芪、紫穗槐和刺槐等４个优良饲用树种在河北坝上地区引种后的生长表现及物候特征。引种研究表明，蒙古岩黄芪和细枝岩黄芪均能顺利越冬并能完成整个生长发育过程，而刺槐和紫穗槐地上部分冬季遭冻害，且不能完成整个生长发育过程。除刺槐外，其他３个树种均可在坝上进行大规模育苗。