R.A. BRAY¹, TATANG IBRAHIM², B. PALMER³ and A.C. SCHLINK⁴

¹Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia;
²Sub-Balai Penelitian Ternak, Sei Putih, Sumatera, Indonesia;
³Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO, Townsville, Queensland, Australia;
⁴Division of Tropical Animal Production, CSIRO, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Twenty-eight accessions of gliricidia (largely from the Oxford Forestry Institute collection) were evaluated under cutting at Utchee Creek, north Queensland, and a subset of 22 also evaluated in North Sumatera, Indonesia. There were up to 3-fold differences in yield between accessions, but relative yields across harvests were fairly consistent. In Australia, the best lines were CPI 113739 and 113742 (OFI 14/84 and 17/84 respectively); in Indonesia, CPI 113739 and 113749 (OFI 14/86) were the best, particularly in dry season production. There was a range of 68–80% in in sacco digestibility, but dry matter digestibility was positively correlated with yield. It is thus possible to select high yielding, highly digestible accessions. There was a considerable range of mineral contents. Levels of P and Na may be insufficient for sustained high animal production. It may be possible to select accessions with favourable nutrient composition but this may necessitate some compromise in yield.