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A field experiment was conducted in 2006 and 2007 to determine the agronomic performance and nutritive value of Sorghum almum for introduction in the derived savannah area of Nigeria. The experiment was arranged in a 2 · 4 factorial design with 2 plant spacings (0AE5 · 0AE5 m and 1AE0 · 1AE0 m) and 4 nitrogen (N) fertilizer levels (0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha )1 ). Plant height, tiller number, leaf proportion, biomass yield and nutritive value of the herbage were evaluated as part of the search for alternatives (especially drought tolerant) to local forages for dry season feeding of ruminants. Herbage yield data were tested for linear, quadratic and cubic trends to identify the optimal fertilizer levels for both spacings. Spacing · N interactions (P < 0AE05) were observed for plant height and tiller number in both years. Agronomic performance was marginally better in 2007 compared with 2006. The maximum dry-matter (DM) yield of 3500 and 3740 kg ha )1 for the more dense row spacing (0AE5 · 0AE5 m) was achieved at N fertilizer levels of 144 and 149 kg N ha )1 for 2006 and 2007 respectively. For the less dense (1AE0 · 1AE0 m) row spacing, the maximum DM yield of 3020 and 3240 kg ha )1 was achieved at 51 and 97 kg N ha )1 for 2006 and 2007 respectively. The crude protein content of the grass ranged from 61 to 89 g kg )1 DM, while the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content ranged from 700 to 734 g kg )1 DM. The ability of S. almum to persist into the second year in this region is seen as a promising index as persistence is one of the characteristics of a good forage plant. Considering the exorbitant price of N fertilizer, less dense row spacing with N fertilizer rate in the range of 50-100 kg N ha )1 is hereby recommended for this region.

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A study was carried out to evaluate the growth parameters and nutritive qualities of Moringa oleifera, Millettia griffoniana and Pterocarpus santalinoides. The main objective of the study was to assess the potential of the MPTS in supplementing the feed of ruminant animals during the dry season when grasses are scarce and their quality generally fall short of animal requirements. Leaf samples were randomly collected from the trees for estimation of the proximate composition, neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre and gas production using the in vitro technique. Samples were collected three times to represent seasonal variations as follows: November: Early Dry; February: Mid Dry and April: Late Dry seasons. Gas production was recorded at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation. Mortality rate was less than 5%. M. oleifera recorded the best overall growth respectively followed by P. santalinoides and M. griffoniana. P. santalinoides and M. oleifera retained more leaves in the dry season than M. griffoniana. The dry matter (DM) and ether extract (EE) contents of the MPTS were significantly (P \ 0.05) affected by seasons and plant species while there were significant (P \ 0.05) species effects on the CP and ADF values. The gas production values and the fermentation parameters indicated the presence of potentially degradable nutrients in the MPTS, which underscores the importance of the tree species as sources of nutrient for ruminant animals during the dry season.