Page 87 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

to get the uniform sample for the respective foliage in all the six blocks. The collected samples were dried at
60°C for 72 h, ground, analysed for proximate components and other cell wall constituents. Minerals i.e. Ca,
P, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Co were estimated following standard methods.

Results and discussion
The DM content of tree foliages ranged from 25.85 (seabuck thorn) to 35.05% (poplus). The
OM, CP, EE, NDF, ADF and ADL contents varied widely from 87.18-90.43, 11.58-18.23, 2.34-3.82,
36.95-48.53, 20.35-26.12 and 3.54-4.98 %DM, respectively. The present findings are supported by
the results of proximate composition and fibre fractions as analysed by Sahoo et al. (2016) in different
tree leaves of temperate sub-Himalayas. The tree leaves were rich source of Ca containing 2.13%
(poplus) to 3.13% (mulberry) and Mg content ranging from 0.26% (poplus) to 0.44% (sarsing). The
foliages were poor in P content ranging from 0.15% (seabuck thorn) to 0.26% (sarsing). A wide ratio
of Ca: P (above 2.5:1) recorded in various samples of tree leaves indicate the poor bioavailability of
these macro- minerals to animals (McDowell et al., 1993). The foliages were found to be rich source
of Fe, Co and Mn with a wide variation from 174.33 ppm (poplus) to 223.67 ppm (mulberry), 0.13
(mulberry) to 0.24 (seabuck thorn), and 49.22 ppm (sarsing) to 76.96 ppm (mulberry), respectively.
Zn concentration were lower than critical range in all samples varying from 19.08 ppm (bathwa) to
27.36 ppm (mulberry).

References
Marcelo, A., Carolina, P., Torres, R.S. and Mariana, A. 2014. Tree canopy-herbaceous layer relation in
temperate woodland: seasonal variations in forage quantity and quality. Range Management and
Agroforestry 35: 101-106.
McDowell, L.R., Conrad J.H. and Glenhembry, F. 1993. Mineral for grazing ruminants in tropical regions,
2nd edn. University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
Sahoo, B., Garg, A.K., Mohanta, R.K., Bhar, R., Thirumurgan, P., Sharma, A.K. and Pandey, A.B. 2016.
Nutritional value and tannin profile of forest foliages in temperate sub-Himalayas. Range Management
and Agroforestry 37(2): 228-232.
S2-4
Assessment of nutritive value of Azadirachta indica (Neem) leaves

R.Kavitha*, C.Valli, R,Karunakaran, K.Vijayarani, and R.Amutha
Department of Animal Nutrition, Madras Veterinary College, Vepery, Chennai-600 007
Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
*Corresponding author’s email: vetkavi2004@gmail.com

Introduction

Neem is a ever green tropical tree, native to India. Azadirachta indica commonly known as neem or Indian
lilac. The leaves are the edible part to animals and their nutritive value vary depend upon the geographical are,
soil nutrient content, etc., The study was undertaken to evaluate the nutritive value of leaves.

68 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development