NUTRITIVE VALUE OF MEDITERRANEAN SHRUBS

Nutritive values of the leaves of Mediterranean shrubs Quercus coccifera, Calicotome villosa, Rhamnus oleoides ssp. graecus, Pistacia terebinthus, Paliurus spina-christi and Phillyrea latifolia, and Leuceana leucocephala, an introduced species were studied. These shrubs were hand harvested from three plots established in the experimental field at before flowering, flowering and bear fruit stages. The nutritive values were evaluated in terms of the chemical composition, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), relative feed value (RFV), dry matter intake (DMI) as well as digestible dry matter (DDM).Maturity had a significant effect on the chemical composition, DM, OM and estimated parameters (DDM, DMI and RFV) of the leaves of the shrub species. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and condensed tannin (CT) contents increased with increasing maturity whereas the crude protein decreased. DM and estimated parameters also decreased with increasing maturity. CP, ADF, NDF, Ash and CT contents ranged from 6.4 to 33.3%, from 6.9 to 39.1%, from 10.1 to 50.5%, from 2.9 to 6.8% and from 0.7 to 15.8%, respectively. The OM and DM ranged from 93.2 to 97.1% and from 28.5 to 70.8%, respectively. The digestibility DM, DM intake and RFV ranged from 58.4 to 83.5%, from 2.4 to 11.9% and from 107.7 to 769.3, respectively ADF, NDF and condensed tannin contents of the leaves of the shrub species harvested at bear fruit stage were significantly higher than those harvested at before flowering and flowering stages, while CP contents and estimated parameters of the leaves of the shrub species harvested at flowering stage were significantly higher than those harvested at before flowering and bear fruit stages. The biplot analysis indicated negative correlation of CP content with OM and DM, whereas it is positively correlated with CT and ash contents. On the other hand, ADF was positively correlated with NDF, whereas it is negatively correlated with estimated parameters. The shrub species harvested at the proper stage of maturity offers considerable potential as high quality forage for ruminants during critical period in the semi arid and arid regions.