Salvinia molesta

Salvinia

Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell, a free-floating aquatic fern, has become a serious pest in the inland waters of many tropical countries. Originally a native of S America, it is now widespread and infestation is reported in Sri Lanka, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zaire, Botswana, India, Austalia, Kenya, Indonesia and Thailand.

The annual productivity is assumed to be up to 110 t DM per ha. In its chemical composition, Salvinia shows a nutritional value comparable in certain respects to that of a quality forage for ruminants. However, its high lignin content and the presence of tannins may be limiting factors for its use. So far, no evidence of toxic amounts of harmful substances in Salvinia has been found.

Due to its high moisture content and consequent bulkiness, it is cumbersome to utilize Salvinia molesta in fresh form. Depending on the climatic conditions in many tropical countries, it is quite practicable to dry the plants in the sun.

					As % of dry matter
				DM	CP	CF	Ash	EE	NFE	Ca	P	Ref
Young plants				7.8	15.2	32.2	19.8	2.7	30.1			635
Medium-stage plants				6.9	12.5	37.5	15.8	2.6	31.6			"
Mature plants				8.5	9.5	36.8	15.8	3.0	34.8			"
		Amino acid composition as % of crude protein
Salvinia molesta											Ref	635
Arg	Cys	Gly	His	Ils	Leu	Lys	Met	Phe	Thr	Try	Tyr	Val
4.7	1.8	5.8	1.7	3.6	7.5	3.7	1.4	5.0	4.8	1.1	3.5	5.3

References

635