Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Common Browse Plants Used in Ruminant Feeding in Adamawa State

This study assesses the nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factor content of browse plant species commonly used for ruminant feeding in Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. Browse plants constitute critical dry season feed resources for cattle, sheep, and goats in Adamawa State's agro-pastoral landscapes, but their nutritional quality varies widely among species and between seasons. This study systematically collects leaf and twig samples from 15 browse plant species most frequently cited by pastoralists in Yola South, Shelleng, and Maiha local government areas through a structured botanical survey and preference ranking exercise with 90 pastoralists. Samples are analysed for dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, ether extract, ash, calcium, phosphorus, tannin, and oxalate content. In vitro dry matter digestibility is measured using the Tilley and Terry technique. Findings reveal that Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa oleifera, and Ficus species achieve the highest crude protein content ranging from 18 to 24 percent dry matter. Acacia species show high tannin concentrations that reduce protein digestibility but may provide anthelmintic benefits. In vitro dry matter digestibility ranges from 42 to 68 percent across species. Seasonal variation in crude protein is significant, with values declining 28 to 45 percent in dry season samples. The study concludes that browse plant diversity in Adamawa State provides year-round nutritional supplementation potential. It recommends farmer training on recognising and prioritising high-quality browse species during drought periods.

Keywords: browse plants, ruminant nutrition, nutritional composition, Adamawa State, dry season feeding.