DETERMINE IN-VITRO GAS (M ETHENE GAS) PRODUCTION ON SOME SELECTED PLANT SPECIES IN GUINEA SAVANNA, AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE OF NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study determines in-vitro gas production of 13 plant species potential of fodder crops used by livestock farmers in the guinea savanna, Agro-ecological zone of North¬ central Nigeria. Leaf samples from each of these fodder plants were harvested at the vegetative stage from mature plants around Jos, Lafia and Abuja vicinity: five multi¬ purpose trees; (leucaena leucocaphala, gmelina arborea, daniella olioverii, mangifera indica, acacia albida), four tropical browse crops; (arachis hypogea, manihot spp, vigna spp, zea mays), and four grasses;(digitaria exillis, sorghum bicolor, panicum maximum, and andropogon gayanus). The gas production profiles of the selected browse plant foliage were significant (p<0.05). The lowest volume (6.67ml/200mgDM) of gas produced was observed in Digitaria exillis and Andropogon gayanus at the 3-hour incubation periods while the highest volume (124.67ml/200mgDM) of gas produced during incubation were recorded in Arachis hypogea at the 48hr incubation time. Most gas were produced between 3 hours of incubation to 42 hours of incubation. It is therefore recommended that crop residues and multi-purpose trees foliage among the fodder crops should be used as feed supplements to feed ruminant in time.