Gasmi-Boubaker et al., 2012. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 24 (10)

The potential nutritional value of four species of leguminous forage (Hedysarum coronarium L, Medicago truncatula L, Vicia sativa L, Pisum sativum L ) grown in Tunisia were harvested at 50 % of flowering stage and evaluated for their nutritive value by chemical composition and gas production technique. The content of organic matter ranged from 846.7 to 946.5 g/kg dry matter (DM). The forage had high crude protein (195–216 g/kg DM) and variable neutral detergent fiber (NDF: 397- 432 g/kg DM) contents. All species contained satisfactory levels of  phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and iron. The gas production after 48 h incubation ranged from 45.6 to 65 mL/200 mg DM. Metabolisable energy (ME) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) were different among the species, with the highest value recorded for Hedysarum coronarium L and Vicia sativa L. The result indicates that such legumes have the potential to be used to feed ruminants.