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Polypogon (Polypogon schimperianus)

Datasheet

Description
Click on the "Nutritional aspects" tab for recommendations for ruminants, pigs, poultry, rabbits, horses, fish and crustaceans
Species 

Polypogon schimperianus (Hochst. ex Steud.) Cope [Poaceae]

Synonyms 

Agrostis schimperiana (Hochst. ex Steud.)

Feed categories 
Related feed(s) 
Description 

Polypogon schimperianus (Hochst. ex Steud.) Cope is a tropical grass. It is a caespitose, tufted perennial grass, which grows to a height of 30-75 cm. Culms are geniculate, ascending or decumbent, 30-120 cm long. Leaves are 6-15 cm long x 3-5 mm wide. The leaf-blade surface is rough. Flowers are borne in a linear, contracted panicle, 6-20 cm long and 0.6-2.5 cm wide (Clayton et al., 2006). Information on Polypogon schimperianus is almost non-existent. It has been considered "data deficient" for the assessment of its status for the IUCN Red list of threatened species (Lansdown et al., 2013).

Distribution 

Polypogon schimperianus is native to a relatively small area of East Africa, from Zambia north to Rwanda and Ethiopia, with a small population confined to the highlands of the western escarpment in Southern Saudi Arabia and Western Yemen. It grows in swamps, usually as low growth between larger tufts of coarse grasses and sedges. It competes poorly with other grasses. It grows at an altitude between 1800 and 2900 m (Lansdown et al., 2013).

Nutritional aspects
Nutritional attributes 

The only sample available in the literature indicates a high protein content of 18% of DM (Dougall et al., 1958).

Ruminants 

Polypogon schimperianus has been described as well grazed and with a high feeding value (Dougall et al., 1958).

Nutritional tables
Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value 

Avg: average or predicted value; SD: standard deviation; Min: minimum value; Max: maximum value; Nb: number of values (samples) used

Main analysis Unit Avg SD Min Max Nb  
Crude protein % DM 17.9       1  
Crude fibre % DM 28.2       1  
NDF % DM 63.7         *
ADF % DM 33.3         *
Lignin % DM 3.9         *
Ether extract % DM 2.1       1  
Ash % DM 10.7       1  
Gross energy MJ/kg DM 18.2         *
               
Minerals Unit Avg SD Min Max Nb  
Calcium g/kg DM 3.4       1  
Phosphorus g/kg DM 2.2       1  
               
Ruminant nutritive values Unit Avg SD Min Max Nb  
OM digestibility, ruminants % 71.4         *
Energy digestibility, ruminants % 68.3         *
DE ruminants MJ/kg DM 12.4         *
ME ruminants MJ/kg DM 9.9         *

The asterisk * indicates that the average value was obtained by an equation.

References

Dougall et al., 1958

Last updated on 19/09/2016 14:45:16

References
References 
Clayton, W. D. ; Harman, K. T. ; Williamson, H., 2006. GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew web icon
Dougall, H. W. ; Bogdan, A. V., 1958. The chemical composition of the grasses of Kenya - I. E. Afr. Agric. For. J., 24 (1): 17-23 web icon
Göhl, B., 1982. Les aliments du bétail sous les tropiques. FAO, Division de Production et Santé Animale, Roma, Italy web icon
Lansdown, R. V.; Knees, S. G.; Patzelt, A., 2013. Polypogon schimperianus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013 web icon
4 references found
Datasheet citation 

Heuzé V., Thiollet H., Tran G., 2017. Polypogon (Polypogon schimperianus). Feedipedia, a programme by INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/508 Last updated on January 13, 2017, 16:36

English correction by Tim Smith (Animal Science consultant)
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