Herbage Yield and Quality of Two Vegetative Parts of Indigofera at Diff erent Times of First Regrowth Defoliation

Abstract

A fi eld experiment using Indigofera sp. was conducted at the Farm Research Station of Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University, Darmaga Campus, during 2008-2009. The objectives of this study were to identify the eff ect of defoliation time on herbage dry-ma􀄴 er production, protein, fi ber contents, and in vitro digestibility of diff erent vegetative parts of Indigofera sp. Block randomized design comprising three levels of defoliation time at fi rst regrowth a􀄞 er pruning (38, 68, and 88 days) with 3 replications were used in this experiment. Pruning was done 3 months a􀄞 er transplanted into the experimental plots. First defoliation was conducted a􀄞 er the plant had been pruned. Herbage was derived from diff erent vegetative parts, i.e: leaves of branch base and all parts of shoot tips. The results revealed signifi cant eff ect of defoliation time on dry ma􀄴 er (DM) production of both branch base and shoot tip herbages. Crude fi ber (CF), neutral detergent fi ber (NDF), acid detergent fi ber (ADF) and in vitro organic ma􀄴 er digestibility (IVOMD) of branch base were infl uenced signifi cantly by defoliation time, except crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry ma􀄴 er digestibility (IVDMD). Defoliation time signifi cantly aff ected CP, CF, NDF, ADF, IVDMD and IVOMD of herbage derived from shoot tips.