Thanks to their high protein content, bengal indigo leaves could be considered as potential protein supplements in low quality diets for cattle and sheep rations (Hassen et al., 2008; Hassen et al., 2007; Agishi, 1983).
Palatability
Indigofera arrecta is not very palatable during the rainy season, but well browsed toward the end of the dry season, when the young subsidiary shoots are also readily eaten (Göhl, 1982).
Degradability and digestibility
The effective DM degradability of DM in leaves was about 69% (Kaitho et al., 1998). The in vitro OM digestibility of the leaves was close to 70% while that of a mixture of leaves and edible fine stems was lower (53%) (Hassen et al., 2008; Hassen, 2006).
Cattle
No information could be found (as of 2021).
Sheep
In Ethiopia, fresh foliage of Indigofera arrecta offered to 1-year old wethers (19 kg) as a supplement to 0.4 kg of straw was fed with an intake of about 105 g DM/d, less than Leucaena spp. (120-140 g DM/d), but close to the that of Sesbania sesban, known for its high feeding value. Indigofera arrecta was been classified in the most palatable species (cluster 1) when compared to 40 other tree species in Ethiopia (Kaitho et al., 1996).
In South Africa, mixture of leaves and fine stem (< 3 mm) given to adult Merino wethers (62 kg) resulted in values for voluntary intake (52 g/kg LW 0.75 /d), DM digestibility (63%), and NDF digestibility (52%) that were similar to thoses obtained with Leucanea leucocephala, and lower that those recorded with alfalfa (Hassen, 2006).
Goats
In North Sumatra, the voluntary intake of Bengal indigo fed to growing goats as the sole forage and supplemented with concentrate was greater when fed as fresh than ensiled. It was recommended to include Indigofera arrecta in complete diets at a maximum of 65% of the diet to avoid a too low average daily gain (Ginting et al., 2012).
