Agronomic perfomance and nutritional value of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A Gray under cutting system

Abstract

The morphoagronomic characteristics along with production yield, bromatological composition and the apparent in vitro digestibility of four cutting ages in Tithonia diversifolia during the dry season were evaluated. A Block Design was used, entirely at random, with four treatments and four repetitions per treatment: T1: Tithonia diversifolia 30 days of cutting; T2: Tithonia diversifolia 45 days of cutting; T3: Tithonia diversifolia 60 days of cutting y T4: Tithonia diversifolia 75 days of cutting. The best morphoagronomic characteristics (plant heights, leaf/stem ratio #, leaf weight per plant, stem weight per plant, leaf weight, stem weight, absolute growth rate, biomass per plant and production) were found at 75 days of cutting (1.71 m; 13.24 #; 99.00 g/MS; 217.92 g/MS; 0.61 g MS; 15.94 g MS; 7.46 g MS/day; 316.92 g MS/plant and 5.62 t DM/ha, respectively) and the best leaf/stem ratio was found at 30 days of cutting g (1.65 g/MS). The dry and organic matter shown their higher rates at 75 days of cutting (21.80 and 84.85%, respectively) whilst crude protein reached it at 30 and 45 days of cutting (24.68 and 22.60%, respectively). Neutral acid detergent fiber (P>0.05). Dry and organic matter digestibility (P>0.05). The best digestibilities for neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were found at 30 and 75 days of cutting (62.15 and 61.90; 61.18 and 59.70%, respectively). This results propose Tithonia diversifolia to be considered an alternative food source for animal feed