Abstract 378

Gomez,-G; Valdivieso,M

Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical, Cali, Colombia.

Journal-of-the-Science-of-Food-and-Agriculture. 1985, 36: 6, 433-441; 31 ref.

The foliage of 4 cassava cultivars was evaluated at ages 6, 8, 10 and 12 months. The effect on cyanide elimination of sun-drying on a concrete floor and of oven-drying at 60øC was also studied, including some observations on the tannin content of dried foliage. The composition, including calcium, phosphorus and amino acids, of dried cassava foliage was similar to that of sun-cured lucerne meal. Generally, foliage from plants 6-12 months old contained DM 25-30%, and as dried foliage had crude protein 13-20% and crude fibre 16-20%. Protein and fibre were the two constituents which varied most with plant age. The gross energy of dried cassava foliage was 3.90-4.35, average 4.12 kcal/kg. Sun-drying and oven-drying removed 82-94 and 69-76%, respectively, of cyanide and free cyanide was 62-77% and 24-36% of total cyanide. Sun-dried samples had consistently less tannin than oven-dried samples.