M. KARACHI

SADC/ICRAF Agroforestry Research Project, Tumbi Agricultural Research and Training Institute, Tabora, Tanzania

Abstract

The productivity and nutritive value of 10 leucaena accessions (1 L. leucocephala; 5 hybrids; 1 composite; 2 L. diversifolia; 1 L. pallida) were compared with that of L. leucocephala cv. Cunningham for 6 sampling occasions over 31 months at Tumbi-Tabora, western Tanzania. Total annual yields of 4 accessions and edible dry matter (DM) yields of 5 accessions consistently exceeded that of cv. Cunningham. DM yields of the highest yielding accessions (L. pallida CPI 94581; hybrid KX2; and L. diversifolia No. 8 CPI 85132) were 2.5 times that of cv. Cunningham for total yield and twice for edible DM yield. Nitrogen and potassium levels were highest in cv. Cunningham and calcium and magnesium concentrations varied between entries but all nutrients except phosphorus in some entries and potassium in all entries were adequate for growth in ruminants. Cultivar Cunningham was more digestible and contained less acid detergent fibre than the other accessions. The superiority in yield of the entries over the commercial cultivar emphasises the need to evaluate them further over a range of environments.