Sesbania grandiflora

Sesbania

Small fast-growing tree with few branches and long pods, adapted to humid tropical regions. Cultivated on the low dikes between rice fields. The large white flowers usually used for human food as a salad; the leaves and young shoots relished by poultry, cattle and goats. If the trees are cut back to a suitable height, a large supply of fresh fodder can be obtained for most of the dry season, when only rice straw and dry grass are otherwise available.

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh flowers,

Sri Lanka

11.1

15.1

13.2

6.5

1.8

63.4

252

Fresh leaves,

Sri Lanka

21.0

33.4

5.7

11.6

2.6

46.7

2.33

0.34

"

Fresh leaves, wet

season, 4 wks,

95 cm, Thailand

16.3

25.2

17.8

9.2

4.3

43.5

1.41

0.43

219

Fresh leaves, wet

season, 6 wks,

125 cm, Thailand

17.1

25.1

17.5

7.6

4.7

45.1

1.29

0.47

"

Fresh leaves, wet

season, 8 wks,

130 cm, Thailand

14.5

23.4

22.8

9.7

5.5

38.6

1.59

0.55

"

Fresh leaves, dry

season, 4 wks,

95 cm, Thailand

16.2

29.6

15.4

8.0

4.9

42.1

1.36

0.43

"

Fresh leaves, dry

season, 6 wks,

120 cm, Thailand

17.1

25.1

15.8

7.0

5.3

46.8

0.99

0.47

"

Fresh leaves, dry

season, 8 wks,

125 cm, Thailand

16.7

27.5

16.8

10.2

4.8

40.7

1.26

0.48

"

Pods, Thailand

91.4

1.6

32.7

6.5

4.8

54.4

56

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Leaves, 6 weeks

Sheep

74.0

37.0

34.0

78.0

2.44

219

Nylon bag degradability

a

b

c

12hr

48hr

Ref

(%)

(%)

(/hour)

(%)

(%)

Leaves, with

Guinea grass

DM

2.53

78.5

0.184

72.4

81.0

633

(CP 20.6)

N

10.6

78.5

0.183

80.3

89.1

"

[P (rumen degradability at time t) = a+b*(1-exp(-c*t))]