Vigna unguiculata

Horse gram

Twining succulent annual herb about 40 cm high. Grown as a dry crop in moderate-rainfall areas. Very drought resistant and suited to sandy and shallow soils. Often cultivated for forage or pasture, sometimes mixed with sorghum. The seeds are used as concentrate feed for cattle. On heavy soils the yield is inferior to Dolichos lablab and cowpea.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh aerial part,

Malaysia

18.2

17.6

21.4

7.1

2.2

51.7

0.55

0.29

292

Hay, India

10.6

16.2

13.1

1.8

58.3

1.81

1.18

436

Pods, India

7.2

37.7

11.5

1.2

42.4

1.66

0.13

"

Seeds only, India

23.8

6.4

6.7

1.1

62.0

0.40

0.29

"

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Seed

Ref

92

Arg

Cys

Gly

His

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

5.4

1.4

4.8

2.5

4.0

6.6

6.1

1.3

6.4

3.5

-

2.6

5.0