The contribution of two tropical legumes to the productivity of signal grass-based pastures

A. Aminah, W. M. Wan Othman and Z. Shamsuddin

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the dry matter productivity of two pasture Iegumes, stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Schofield) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala cv. ML 1) in combination with signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) in signal grass-based pastures. The estimation of the amounts of N₂ fixed over the first 2 years of establishment of stylo and leucaena in their mixtures with signal grass wits also studied. Signal grass was grown in pure swards (control) in association with stylo or leucaena and in association with both legumes. The experiment was laid out in a complete block design with five replications. The dry matter and crude protein yields of signal grass + leucaena signal grass + stylo + leucaena and signal grass + srylo were 12 700 and 2 113, 12 200 and 1 849, 8 300 and 848 kg/ha per year respectively compared with the conrol of 7 400) dan 637 kg/ha per year. By calculation, leucaena fixed 240 kg N/ha per year in the mixed pasture while stylo fixed 37 kg N/ha per year. When borh legumes were grown together in association with signal grass, the amounr of N₂, fixed was 298 kg N/ha per year. Unlike leucaena, the dry matter productivity of the stylo component in mixrures was low and declined over time. The data show that tree-legume like leucaena are suitable components in mixed signal grass pastures and have a great potential as a protein source for animal feed.

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