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Title: NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF PIGEONPEA (CAJANUS CAJAN) FOR YOUNG RUMINANTS

Author
item Cantrell, Samantha
item Phillips, William
item Rao, Srinivas
item Mayeux Jr, Herman
item GOSSEN, REONNA - REDLANDS CC

Submitted to: Oklahoma Academy of Science Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2001
Publication Date: 12/31/2001
Citation: CANTRELL, S.H., PHILLIPS, W.A., RAO, S.C., MAYEUX JR, H.S., GOSSEN, R. NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF PIGEONPEA (CAJANUS CAJAN) FOR YOUNG RUMINANTS. OKLAHOMA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE PROCEEDINGS. 2001. v. 81. p. 81.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only

Technical Abstract: In Oklahoma, winter wheat production accounts for 11% of the $4 billion in annual farm cash receipts and utilizes over 2.4 million ha of farm land. A decrease in the value of wheat grain and an increase in the cost of inorganic N fertilizer has renewed wheat producers' interest in crop rotation strategies that employ a warm season legume to increase soil organic N and to provide economic diversity. The objective of these experiments was to determine the nutritional value of pigeonpeas, a warm season legume, as a potential protein source for young ruminants. Crossbred, fall born lambs less than 1 year of age were used in digestion and N-balance (Experiment 1) and growth-intake (Experiment 2) trials. Diets containing pigeonpea, cottonseed meal, or alfalfa as the primary source of protein had similar digestion coefficients (Experiment 1). Lambs readily consumed a diet contain pigeonpeas as the primary protein source and gained weight more rapidly than lambs fed cottonseed meal (Experiment 2). From these data we concluded that raw, cracked pigeonpeas can be used as a dietary protein source for young ruminants.