Nutrients Profile of 52 Browse Species Found in Semi-Arid Areas of South Africa for Livestock Production: Effect of Harvesting Site

The use of these browse plant species as feed supplements to livestock is restricted due to a lack of knowledge about their nutritional status. This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of woody browse species found in a semi-arid, as influenced by harvesting, site (Limpopo and North West Province). Limpopo had a Glenrosa, Mispah and Lithosols (GM-L) soil type and North West sites had an Aeolian Kalahari sand, Clovelly and Hutton (AKS-CH) soil type. Fresh leaves from fifty-two trees (five trees per species) were randomly selected and harvested from the site by hand-picking. Limpopo had forty-five browse species and North West had twenty-one browse species, respectively. The samples were air dried at room temperature and ground for laboratory analysis (nutritive value). The data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (for those species that were not common in both sites) and two-way factorial (for those species that were common in both sites) in a completely randomized design. In the GM-L soil type, M. azedarach (223.2 g/kg DM) had the highest (p < 0.05) crude protein content (CP), whereas in the AKS-CH soil type, V. hebeclada (189.2 g/kg DM) had the highest (p < 0.05) CP content. Within each species, V. nilotica. Subsp. Krasssiana had the highest (p < 0.05) dry matter digestibility (725.4 g/kg DM), non-fibrous carbohydrates (607.3 g/kg DM), digestible energy (3.375 Mcal/kg) and metabolizable energy (2.771) content when compared to all the other browse species in both GM-L and AKS-CH soils. Melia azedarach in GM-L had the highest (p < 0.05) values in most amino acids’ parameters measured when compared to the same species in AKS-CH. Though the harvesting site had an effect on the nutritive value, all species, irrespective of the harvesting site, had sufficient CP to be used as a supplement to livestock exposed to the low-quality roughages. The results from this study will be useful for farmers and researchers through the provision of relevant information on how to improve livestock production. There is a need to run in vivo trials to determine the best species suitable for livestock sustainability.