Nutritional Characteristics and Seed Germination Improvement of the Forage Shrub Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss

Abstract

SummaryRetama sphaerocarpa shrubs form populations that can be an important forage resource during the dry season when pasture shortages are common in certain arid and semi-arid Mediterranean basin regions. The leaves of R. sphaerocarpa were analyzed for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents. Leaves were also analyzed for the concentration of macro- (P, K, Ca and Mg) and microelements (Mn, Zn, Fe, and Na). According to the contents of CP, NDF, ADF and ADL in the leaves examined, this species could strike an appropriate balance between available feed ingredients for daily nutritional needs of animals. The contents of Ca, K, Na, P, Fe, Mg, and Zn in Retama sphaerocarpa shrubs were found to be high, compared to a number of other forage shrub species. Conversely, the rate of natural regeneration of this shrub in situ was estimated at 2-5%. R. sphaerocarpa seeds are affected by seed coat dormancy that prevents seed germination under natural conditions. The seed germination was assessed at a laboratory after the chemical scarification of seeds by concentrated sulphuric acid in the duration range of 0 min and 240 min. The principal component analysis of data related to the germination ability and seedling emergence showed that the best pretreatment was 120 min immersion in sulphuric acid at 25°C (± 2°C), resulting in 86% of the final germination percentage (FGP) and 14.6 cm of the seedling length (SL). According to the results obtained, this species could be considered a ruminant feed of great nutritive value when drought decreases grazing herbaceous biomass yields. These results should encourage farmers and foresters to integrate R. sphaerocarpa into their planting programs.

Caracteres morfométricos y anatómicos de frutos y semillas de una población de Prosopis laevigata (Fabaceae) en Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, México

“…En las semillas de los individuos de P. laevigata analizados se registró la presencia de S, Al, K, Ca, Cu, Mg y Si. En una planta las cantidades de calcio y potasio tienen una correlación positiva con su disponibilidad en el suelo (Kheloufi et al, 2020) En otras especies, por ejemplo P. africana, también se ha documentado que las semillas contienen K, Ca, S, P, Cl y trazas de Mn, Zn, Cd y Sb; siendo azufre y potasio los elementos presentes en mayor proporción (Anhwange et al, 2020). Esto concuerda con los resultados del presente trabajo, ya que el azufre tuvo una proporción de 2.24% y el potasio de 0.61% (Cuadro 3).…”

Improvement of Germination in Retama Sphaerocarpa and Ziziphus Lotus for the Rehabilitation of Degraded Rangelands in Algeria

“…Therefore, some native xerophytes with suitable foraging potential can help alleviate forage shortages (Barakat et al 2013 [2]). These environments depend significantly on shrubs and in Mediterranean conditions, plants from the Fabaceae and Rhamnaceae are among the most essential (Stock et Verboom 2012 [3]; Kheloufi et al 2020a [4]: Kheloufi et al 2020b [5]). In the Aurès region of Algeria, shrubs of Retama sphaerocarpa and Ziziphus lotus form populations that provide important forage resources during the dry season.…”