MUBEENA P.*, USHA C. THOMAS AND DEEPA SURENDRAN
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), India
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ambalavayal, Wayanad (Kerala), India
*(e-mail : mubeenap94@gmail.com)
(Received : 18 July 2022; Accepted : 04 August 2022)
SUMMARY
The study was conducted in College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram during January-September, 2020 to investigate the anti-nutritional factors and micro nutrient contents of different tree fodder and shrubs that are locally available in Southern Kerala. Ten different fodder trees and shrubs which are locally fed to the cattle viz., Sesbania grandiflora, Erythrina indica, Moringa oleifera, Cocos nucifera, Glyricidia maculata, Terminalia elliptica, Leucaena leucocephala, Manihot esculenta, Musa acuminata and Mangifera indica were selected and analysed for micro nutrient content (Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu) and anti-nutritional factors (oxalate and nitrate).The results revealed that mean values of iron, zinc, manganese and copper content were of the range 136.45±18.55, 20.59 ±3.62, 30.16±6.48 and 11.75±0.91 respectively. The study also revealed that, both Sesbania grandiflora and Glyricidia maculata have negligible amount of nitrate. Remaining all tree fodders have nitrate in the range of 2.72±1.02. Whereas oxalate content in all tree leaves ranged from 1.43 to 2.97 per cent, with a mean value of 2.93± 0.16 per cent.
Key words: Anti nutritional factors, micronutrients, nitrate, oxalate, tree fodder