Prosopis chilensis

Algaroba, Kiawe, Tamarugo

Useful reference: 566

Tree of variable height, reaching 15 m in Hawaii. Shallow, spreading root system; branches freely, wood hard and reddish. Leaves bipinnate, 4-7.5 cm long, with small round glands, leaflets linear-oblong, smooth or slightly hairy. Flowers greenish yellow, about 5 mm long, borne in a raceme 5-10 cm long. Seed pod slender, slightly curved or straight, flat at maturity, 10-20 cm long, yellow when ripe, borne in drooping clusters. Seed angular-oblong, about 0.6 cm long and 0.3 wide, light brown, enclosed in horny structure (561).

Native to Central America, it is common along the Pacific coast of Peru, northern Chile and northern Argentina. It is naturalized in Hawaii and is common as thickets on the Pacific beaches. In India, it is recommended for planting as a fodder tree at altitudes ranging from 340-1230 m.

In Hawaii it is regarded as a useful shade and fodder plant in the dry and hot zones. Unripe green pods are bitter and of little value. The ripe pods or beans drop between June and November and are an excellent feed containing much sugar. In some countries the seeds are ground into meal for use in concentrate rations for all classes of livestock. Kiln-dried pods ground into a meal are far superior to air-dried chopped pods. The leaves are grazed to some extent, but from a forage point of view they are not as important as the beans. A mature tree may yield 80 kg fresh leaves annually.

[NEW ENTRY]

As % of dry matter

DM

CP

CF

Ash

EE

NFE

Ca

P

Ref

Fresh young

leaves, USA

22.5

24.7

4.7

2.9

44.2

0.86

0.25

165

Pods, Chile

91.5

11.0

11.9

7.3

2.2

67.6

0.44

0.16

315

Pods, Sudan

94.4

11.5

26.9

5.4

2.2

54.0

105

Dried pod

meal, Hawaii

89.2

9.5

23.2

7.9

1.5

57.9

20

Seeds, Hawaii

35.2

9.1

5.1

5.2

45.4

245

Pod husks,

Hawaii

5.6

27.3

3.8

0.2

63.1

"

Digestibility (%)

Animal

CP

CF

EE

NFE

ME

Ref

Pod meal

Cattle

70.0

54.0

75.0

70.0

2.30

20

Amino acid composition as % of crude protein

Seed

Ref

419

Arg

Cys

Gly

Hys

Ils

Leu

Lys

Met

Phe

Thr

Try

Tyr

Val

6.3

-

2.5

2.2

1.2

6.3

6.1

1.2

2.6

2.3

-

1.4

2.9