Early growth and seasonal chemical composition of three indigenous multipurpose tree species (MPTS) in Abeokuta,Nigeria

A study was carried out to evaluate the growth parameters and nutritive qualities of Moringa oleifera, Millettia griffoniana and Pterocarpus santalinoides. The main objective of the study was to assess the potential of the MPTS in supplementing the feed of ruminant animals during the dry season when grasses are scarce and their quality generally fall short of animal requirements. Leaf samples were randomly collected from the trees for estimation of the proximate composition, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and gas production using the in vitro technique. Samples were collected three times to represent seasonal variations as follows: November: Early Dry; February: Mid Dry and April: Late Dry seasons. Gas production was recorded at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation. Mortality rate was less than 5%. M. oleifera recorded the best overall growth respectively followed by P. santalinoides and M. griffoniana. P. santalinoides and M. oleifera retained more leaves in the dry season than M. griffoniana. The dry matter (DM) and ether extract (EE) contents of the MPTS were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by seasons and plant species while there were significant (P < 0.05) species effects on the CP and ADF values. The gas production values and the fermentation parameters indicated the presence of potentially degradable nutrients in the MPTS, which underscores the importance of the tree species as sources of nutrient for ruminant animals during the dry season.