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Background: Leucaena leucocephala is a useful multipurpose tree species for agroforestry systems, but traditional seeded cultivars often become weedy and invasive. A seedless hybrid cultivar, 'KX4-Hawaii', offers a potential solution to this problem. However, relevant agronomic information and information on the performance of 'KX4-Hawaii' under varying growth conditions is required. The goal of this research was to evaluate 'KX4-Hawaii' as a source of agricultural biomass in Barbados, a small island developing state with limited arable land. Methods: 'KX4-Hawaii' air layers were imported into Barbados to create stock trees. Air layering was used to create propagation material and a field study was established with a 'KX4-Hawaii' hedgerow planted as a field border. Three plant spacings (50, 75, and 100 cm) were evaluated and data on the growth and biomass yields of the trees were collected at 4-month intervals. Precipitation data were used to investigate climatic effects on 'KX4-Hawaii' productivity. Results: 'KX4-Hawaii' was successfully propagated via air layers and could be planted directly in the field with irrigation. All recorded growth and biomass yields were correlated with precipitation. However, the woody (lignified stems and branches) biomass was more responsive to precipitation than the green (leaves and green tender stems) biomass and made up a large fraction of the total biomass produced. 'KX4-Hawaii' was productive even under drought conditions and biomass yields per meter of hedgerow increased with closer spacings. Of the tested spacing treatments, 75 cm was optimum for a 4-month pruning interval under the conditions seen in Barbados as it produced similar yields to the 50 cm spacing treatment but would require less propagation material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Una de las alternativas de alimentación bovina que se reviste de importancia ante la variabilidad climática dentro de la planificación forrajera son los pastos de cortes. Desde este contexto el objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar la influencia de dos frecuencias de cortes (45 días y 65 días) en King Grass (Pennisetum purpureum) y Camerún (Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum typhoides) en y sin asocio con Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala – Lam de Wit) cultivar Cunningham sobre la disponibilidad y contenido de proteína cruda de la biomasa, en la finca Santa María de la Universidad Internacional Antonio de Valdivieso (UNIAV-Rivas), en el período de mayo 2021 a septiembre 2022. Se utilizó un arreglo factorial completamente al azar, con ocho tratamientos y dos repeticiones, en cada unidad experimental se ubicaron seis sitios de muestreo de un metro lineal cada uno, y se seleccionó al azar una planta para la medición de las variables. Se realizó un análisis de varianza y comparación de medias por diferencias mínimas significativas Fisher al 95 % de confiablidad. King Grass + Leucaena a los 65 días en periodo lluvioso, presentó la mayor altura total, cantidad de nudos, hojas y área foliar, y en periodo seco King Grass + Leucaena a los 45 días registró mayor altura total, diámetro basal y longitud entre el tercer y cuarto nudo. Camerún + Leucaena en ambas épocas a los 65 días, presentó mayor promedio de kg MS ha-1, este mismo resultado lo presenta King Grass en período lluvioso; en periodo seco su disponibilidad de biomasa es similar en y sin asocio. En contenido de proteína cruda, en hojas y tallos de los pastos fue superior en los sitios asociados y con 45 días. Leucaena presentó similar crecimiento en ambos pastos, en la época lluviosa a los 65 días presentó mayor altura total y diámetro de copa, y en periodo seco, aunque prevalece una mayor altura total a los 65 días, en las demás variables fue mayor en los tratamientos a los 45 días. La mayor disponibilidad de biomasa en hojas en ambas épocas se registró con el pasto King Grass a los 45 días y con Camerún en ambas edades de corte, y en tallos tiernos el mayor valor lo presentó con el pasto King Grass a los 65 días, en hojas y tallos tiernos los tratamientos no presentaron diferencias estadísticas.

Background Leucaena leucocephala is a useful multipurpose tree species for agroforestry systems, but traditional seeded cultivars often become weedy and invasive. A seedless hybrid cultivar, ‘KX4-Hawaii’, offers a potential solution to this problem. However, relevant agronomic information and information on the performance of ‘KX4-Hawaii’ under varying growth conditions is required. The goal of this research was to evaluate ‘KX4-Hawaii’ as a source of agricultural biomass in Barbados, a small island developing state with limited arable land. Methods ‘KX4-Hawaii’ air layers were imported into Barbados to create stock trees. Air layering was used to create propagation material and a field study was established with a ‘KX4-Hawaii’ hedgerow planted as a field border. Three plant spacings (50, 75, and 100 cm) were evaluated and data on the growth and biomass yields of the trees were collected at 4-month intervals. Precipitation data were used to investigate climatic effects on ‘KX4-Hawaii’ productivity. Results ‘KX4-Hawaii’ was successfully propagated via air layers and could be planted directly in the field with irrigation. All recorded growth and biomass yields were correlated with precipitation. However, the woody (lignified stems and branches) biomass was more responsive to precipitation than the green (leaves and green tender stems) biomass and made up a large fraction of the total biomass produced. ‘KX4-Hawaii’ was productive even under drought conditions and biomass yields per meter of hedgerow increased with closer spacings. Of the tested spacing treatments, 75 cm was optimum for a 4-month pruning interval under the conditions seen in Barbados as it produced similar yields to the 50 cm spacing treatment but would require less propagation material.

Secondary growth is the most dynamic developmental aspect during the terrestrialization of plants. The development of secondary xylem tissue composed of thick-walled cells with characteristic changes in its structure and chemistry facilitates the growth and development of woody plants. In the present study, the chemical composition of the secondary xylem of juvenile and mature wood from the branch and main trunk of Leucaena leucocephala, has been investigated and the differences established. The biochemical analysis of different cell wall components in the mature wood of the main trunk revealed high holocellulose and α-cellulose and less lignin content in the juvenile wood while its syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio was less than for the mature wood. As compared to the branch xylem, concentration of cell wall polysaccharides and lignin content was higher in both juvenile and mature wood collected from the main trunk. Thioacidolysis and GC-MS analysis of wood lignin from juvenile and mature wood showed that an increased concentration in lignin content in mature wood is associated with a corresponding increase in S/G ratio. The structural information of the acetylated lignin was investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the mature wood from the main trunk is superior in pulp yielding and lignin degradability as compared to the juvenile wood of the branch and trunk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper feed optimization is vital for the health and growth of goats, with fodder quality being a central factor. This study evaluated the impact of feeding goats guinea grass mixed with various tree legumes on their growth and feed consumption. Nine upgraded goats were used for this research, divided equally among three treatment groups. Each treatment was repeated three times, with one goat per repetition. The experimental treatments included guinea grass paired with Gliricidia (T1), Indigofera (T2), or Ipil-ipil (T3). The results showed that the T2 (Guinea grass + Indigofera tinctoria) combination resulted in the highest feed intake at 29.94kg over five weeks, a finding significant with a p-value of 0.04. Nutrient analysis demonstrated a significant intake of crude protein for T2 with a p-value of 0.038. Moreover, T2 exhibited the most substantial total weight gain (3016.67g) and an average daily gain of 86.19g/day, with p-values of <0.001 and 0.013 respectively. In conclusion, the mix of Guinea grass and Indigofera tinctoria offers the best results in terms of feed intake and goat growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucaena is a fast-growing tree in the legume family. Its leaf contains a significant amount of protein and is thus widely used as fodder for cattle. To broaden its application in the rubber field, the effects of Leucaena leaf powder and its extracted products on the cure characteristics and mechanical properties of natural rubber were investigated. The extraction of Leucaena leaf was carried out by using a proteolytic enzyme at 60 °C. The digested protein was separated from the residue by centrifugation. Both digested protein and residue were then dried and ground into powder, namely digested protein powder and residual powder, respectively, before being characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, particle size determination, and protein analysis. After being added to natural rubber at 3 parts per hundred rubber, they significantly reduced both the scorch time and the optimum cure time of the rubber compounds, probably due to the presence of nitrogen-containing substances, without a significant sacrifice of the mechanical properties. For instance, the optimum cure time decreased by approximately 25.5, 35.4, and 54.9% for Leucaena leaf powder, residual powder, and digested protein powder, respectively. Thus, they can be used as green and sustainable fillers with a cure-activation effect in rubber compounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effect of Leucaena at different proportions and doses of molasses on the nutritional quality, silage fermentation characteristic, and in vitro digestibility of corn stover silage. Materials and Methods: The study was designed in a completely randomized factorial design 3*3 pattern. The first factor was the proportion addition of Leucaena, i.e., L0 (0%), L15 (15%), L30 (30%), and L45 (45%) of inclusion of Leucaena on the dry matter (DM) basis of corn stover. The second factor was the dose of inclusion of molasses, i.e., M2 (2%), M4 (4%), and M6 (6%) on the fed basis of silage. Each treatment had five replications. The variables observed included chemical composition [DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), hemicellulose, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber], silage fermentation characteristics (pH and NH3-N), DM digestibility (DMD), and OM digestibility (OMD) under in vitro conditions. Results: The result shows that the inclusion of Leucaena in the proportion of 30%–45% is very effective in increasing and improving the chemical composition of corn stover silage, significantly suppresses the content of CF, and increases the CP content of the silage. Likewise, the inclusion of molasses at a dose of 4% also positively contributed to the quality of the resulting silage, especially its effect in suppressing the buffer capacity of proteins resulting in low pH values and NH3-N concentrations in silage. Conclusions: It was concluded that the inclusion of Leucaena in 30%–45% and the inclusion of molasses at a dose of 4% is very effective in increasing and improving the chemical composition, silage fermentability characteristics, and rumen degradation of corn stover silage. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(1.000): 118-125]

Objective: The study was conducted to determine the effect of Leucaena at different proportions and doses of molasses on the nutritional quality, silage fermentation characteristic, and in vitro digestibility of corn stover silage. Materials and Methods: The study was designed in a completely randomized factorial design 3*3 pattern. The first factor was the proportion addition of Leucaena, i.e., L0 (0%), L15 (15%), L30 (30%), and L45 (45%) of inclusion of Leucaena on the dry matter (DM) basis of corn stover. The second factor was the dose of inclusion of molasses, i.e., M2 (2%), M4 (4%), and M6 (6%) on the fed basis of silage. Each treatment had five replications. The variables observed included chemical composition [DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), hemicellulose, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber], silage fermentation characteristics (pH and NH3-N), DM digestibility (DMD), and OM digestibility (OMD) under in vitro conditions. Results: The result shows that the inclusion of Leucaena in the proportion of 30%-45% is very effective in increasing and improving the chemical composition of corn stover silage, significantly suppresses the content of CF, and increases the CP content of the silage. Likewise, the inclusion of molasses at a dose of 4% also positively contributed to the quality of the resulting silage, especially its effect in suppressing the buffer capacity of proteins resulting in low pH values and NH3-N concentrations in silage. Conclusions: It was concluded that the inclusion of Leucaena in 30%-45% and the inclusion of molasses at a dose of 4% is very effective in increasing and improving the chemical composition, silage fermentability characteristics, and rumen degradation of corn stover silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of various natural resources as coagulant to treat various types of water and wastewater has seen considerable growth in recent years. The coagulation mechanism of natural coagulant is commonly charge neutralization followed by adsorption during the floc growth. However, due to lack of information, further investigation into the nature of the coagulation mechanism is needed. In this study, the coagulation of Congo red synthetic wastewater using crude leucaena extract was investigated at various initial Congo red concentrations (50–100 mg/L) and coagulation temperatures ranging from 30 to 50 °C. Furthermore, the nature of coagulation was investigated using various adsorption isotherms (the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller models) and kinetic models (pseudo-first, pseudo-second, Elovich, and intraparticle models). It was found that the Congo red concentrations, coagulation temperatures, and their interaction are significant to the dye removal. The sedimentation was well described by the pseudo-second order kinetic model, and the coagulation process followed the Langmuir isotherm. This indicates that the coagulation process involved chemisorption with monolayer formation on the coagulant. Moreover, the thermodynamic study shows that the coagulation was both endothermic and spontaneous. HIGHLIGHTS Crude protein was extracted from Leucaena leucocephala.; The Congo red coagulation followed Langmuir isotherm model.; The settling kinetic followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model.; The coagulation using leucaena crude extract was endothermic and spontaneous nature.;

Shade trees may have contrastive effects on Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner) yield, which may be additionally influenced by soil properties and reproductive stages of the plant. The current study is aimed at examining the interaction effects of shade trees, soils with different properties, and reproductive stages on coffee yield and identifying key factors influencing the yield. The current study was conducted in Dakha, Kontum of Vietnam on 133 farms, randomly selected from two soils, and two reproductive stages of coffee plants planted with and without shade trees. The coffee yield was measured, and surface soil samples were taken from these farms to be analyzed for 16 variables. The results showed that shade trees enhanced coffee yield significantly (by 28%) in the young reproductive stage but exhibited an insignificant effect in the old stage. The silt fraction, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and shade trees were key factors determining 52% of the coffee yield in the sandy clay loam soil, while silt content and shade trees determined 23% of the yield in the clay soil. These findings suggest that shade trees, together with some soil properties, should be considered to improve coffee production under a tropical monsoon climate region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alley cropping is a sustainable agriculture approach that improves ecosystem services while also promoting biodiversity. The current study was conducted over two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, to examine the impact of leucaena–turmeric alley cropping and organic compost addition as agroforestry systems on the growth, yield and characteristics of the turmeric crop. Alley cropping included four treatments: control (turmeric as sole crop), turmeric cultivated between leucaena trees pruned at 1 m height, leucaena trees pruned at 1.5 m height and unpruned leucaena trees. Meanwhile, organic compost rates were control (received recommended NPK) and 17 and 34 m3 ha−1. This study's results showed that growing turmeric in between rows of unpruned leucaena resulted in maximum turmeric plant growth, production and characteristics. Minimum turmeric growth and yield parameters were recorded with plants grown between pruned leucaena at 1 m and those where the turmeric was the sole crop. In addition, compost addition at 34 m3 ha−1 led to maximum growth, yield and attributes of the turmeric crop. Compost addition and alley cropping were shown to be an effective and sustainable agro-ecological system for increasing turmeric output and quality. The study demonstrated the importance of selecting the appropriate crop–tree combination in this system and it was discovered that leguminous leucaena trees significantly contributed to improving fertility and nutrient availability, which in turn improved the growth characteristics of turmeric, particularly the leaf-area index and its nutrient content, which are beneficial to the characteristics of the rhizome yield and curcumin content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the physical quality of complete rabbit feed containing different legumes. The study design was an experimental method using a Completely Randomized Design with four treatments and five replications. The treatments were as follows: P1 =complete feed without legume;P2 = complete feed with 10% moringa leaves meal; P3 = complete feed with 10% Leucaena leaves meal; P4 = complete feed with 10% turi leaves meal. Parameters measured were hardness, durability, density and specific gravity of rabbit pellet complete feed. Data analysis uses analysis of variance and if there is a treatment with a significant effect, then it is continued with Duncan's multiple distance test. The results showed that legumes had no significant effect on impact resistance, friction resistance, pile density, and specific gravity of the rabbit pellets produced. It was concluded that the use of legumes, namely Moringa, lamtoro and turi did not reduce the physical quality of the pellets.

Secondary growth is the most dynamic developmental aspect during the terrestrialization of plants. The development of secondary xylem tissue composed of thick-walled cells with characteristic changes in its structure and chemistry facilitates the growth and development of woody plants. In the present study, the chemical composition of the secondary xylem of juvenile and mature wood from the branch and main trunk of Leucaena leucocephala, has been investigated and the differences established. The biochemical analysis of different cell wall components in the mature wood of the main trunk revealed high holocellulose and α-cellulose and less lignin content in the juvenile wood while its syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio was less than for the mature wood. As compared to the branch xylem, concentration of cell wall polysaccharides and lignin content was higher in both juvenile and mature wood collected from the main trunk. Thioacidolysis and GC-MS analysis of wood lignin from juvenile and mature wood showed that an increased concentration in lignin content in mature wood is associated with a corresponding increase in S/G ratio. The structural information of the acetylated lignin was investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the mature wood from the main trunk is superior in pulp yielding and lignin degradability as compared to the juvenile wood of the branch and trunk.

Increasing concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) exert significant impacts on the plants, but there is limited data for belowground processes. We studied the effects of long-term exposure of elevated O3 (EO3) on plant growth parameters (plant height and biomass) and biochemical parameters (nutrients, microbial biomass and enzymatic activities) of rhizospheric soil of leguminous tree species Leucaena leucocephala. L. leucocephala seedlings were grown under ambient O3 (AO3) and EO3 (+20 ppb above ambient) under Free Air Ozone Concentration Enrichment (O3-FACE) facility and changes in plant growth and their rhizospheric soil properties were studied during 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of EO3 exposure. L. leucocephala showed significant reductions in shoot length, root biomass, shoot biomass, leaf biomass and total biomass during 12, 18 and 24 months of exposure to EO3. Total nutrients in rhizospheric soil like carbon and phosphorus were significantly reduced after 24 months of EO3 exposure. Most of the available nutrients showed significant reduction after 6, 12 and 24 months of EO3 exposure. A significant decrease was apparent in microbial biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of EO3 treatment. Significant reductions were observed in extracellular enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, β-glycosidase, fluorescein diacetate, arylsulfatase, cellulase and protease) of soil after 6, 12 and 24 months of EO3 exposure. These results suggest that increasing O3 concentrations will directly impact L. leucocephala growth as well as have indirect impact on the nutrient contents (C, N, and P), microbial biomass and extracellular enzymatic activities of rhizospheric soil of L. leucocephala. Our results suggest that continuous increase in O3 concentrations will have serious implications for aboveground plant growth and belowground soil fertility in this region considered as O3 hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Burning fast-growing trees for energy production can be an effective alternative to coal combustion. Thus, lignocellulosic material, which can be used to obtain chemicals with a high added value, is highly abundant, easily renewed and usually inexpensive. In this work, hemicellulose extraction by acid hydrolysis of plant biomass from three different crops (Chamaecytisus proliferus, Leucaena diversifolia and Paulownia trihybrid) was modelled and the resulting solid residues were used for energy production. Results The influence of the nature of the lignocellulosic raw material and the operating conditions used to extract the hemicellulose fraction on the heat capacity and activation energy of the subsequent combustion process was examined. The heat power and the activation energy of the combustion process were found to depend markedly on the hemicellulose content of the raw material. Thus, a low content in hemicelluloses resulted in a lower increased energy yield after acid hydrolysis stage. The process was also influenced by the operating conditions of the acid hydrolysis treatment, which increased the gross calorific value (GCV) of the solid residue by 0.6–9.7% relative to the starting material. In addition, the activation energy of combustion of the acid hydrolysis residues from Chamaecytisus proliferus (Tagasaste) and Paulownia trihybrid (Paulownia) was considerably lower than that for the starting materials, the difference increasing with increasing degree of conversion as well as with increasing temperature and acid concentration in the acid hydrolysis. The activation energy of combustion of the solid residues from acid hydrolysis of tagasaste and paulownia decreased markedly with increasing degree of conversion, and also with increasing temperature and acid concentration in the acid hydrolysis treatment. No similar trend was observed in Leucaena diversifolia (Leucaena) owing to its low content in hemicelluloses. Conclusions Acid hydrolysis of tagasaste, leucaena and paulownia provided a valorizable liquor containing a large amount of hemicelluloses and a solid residue with an increased heat power amenable to efficient valorization by combustion. There are many potential applications of the hemicelluloses-rich and lignin-rich fraction, for example as multi-components of bio-based feedstocks for 3D printing, for energy and other value-added chemicals.

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For the estimation of genetic diversity and population structure, 23 accessions of Leucaena leucocephala were characterized using morphological and molecular markers. A medium to high degree of genetic variability was calculated among these accessions based on eight quantitative traits. Furthermore, a cluster analysis based on morphological characteristics grouped the 23 Leucaena accessions into five groups based on their similarities. Furthermore, the principal component analysis revealed that eight quantitative traits contributed for 82.57% of the total variability. Eleven simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers showed a high degree of polymorphism among the 23 L. leucocephala accessions. The polymorphic information contents (PIC) for these 11 markers were estimated and revealed that SSR723 had higher PIC value (0.90). Also, the dendrogram generated based on 11 markers distinctively demarcated most of the L. leucocephala accessions into different clusters indicating its vast genetic diversity in the population. A population structure study of these 23 L. leucocephala accessions showed the existence of two gene pools. Also, analysis of molecular variance showed that there was 13% variability between populations, while there was 87% variability within the population. The first and second coordinates of principal coordinate analysis unconditionally distributed these accessions into four coordinates based on their similarity. Overall, the high degree of genetic variability described by morphological and molecular markers in L. leucocephala can be used as a basic tool for assessing genetic diversity and linkage mapping in Leucaena genetic improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alley cropping is a sustainable agriculture approach that improves ecosystem services while also promoting biodiversity. The current study was conducted over two seasons, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, to examine the impact of leucaena–turmeric alley cropping and organic compost addition as agroforestry systems on the growth, yield and characteristics of the turmeric crop. Alley cropping included four treatments: control (turmeric as sole crop), turmeric cultivated between leucaena trees pruned at 1 m height, leucaena trees pruned at 1.5 m height and unpruned leucaena trees. Meanwhile, organic compost rates were control (received recommended NPK) and 17 and 34 m3 ha−1. This study’s results showed that growing turmeric in between rows of unpruned leucaena resulted in maximum turmeric plant growth, production and characteristics. Minimum turmeric growth and yield parameters were recorded with plants grown between pruned leucaena at 1 m and those where the turmeric was the sole crop. In addition, compost addition at 34 m3 ha−1 led to maximum growth, yield and attributes of the turmeric crop. Compost addition and alley cropping were shown to be an effective and sustainable agro-ecological system for increasing turmeric output and quality. The study demonstrated the importance of selecting the appropriate crop–tree combination in this system and it was discovered that leguminous leucaena trees significantly contributed to improving fertility and nutrient availability, which in turn improved the growth characteristics of turmeric, particularly the leaf-area index and its nutrient content, which are beneficial to the characteristics of the rhizome yield and curcumin content.

Leucaena leucocephala and Acacia nilotica are two arboreal legumes with several uses in agriculture, nutritious forage and livelihoods, fence posts, wood production, biofuel production, charcoal, firewood, shading, hedges, windbreaks, and improvement of soil fertility. The seed dormancy is common in Leucaena and Acacia species, and it creates difficulties in seed testing and planting. The aim of this study is to determine the effective methods of sulfuric acid and hot water due to overcoming dormancy in seeds of those species. Most pretreatments significantly (p

Se realizó un estudio para evaluar la composición botánica y calidad de la dieta seleccionada para bovinos pastoreando un sistema silvopastoril intensivo (50,000 árboles ha -1 ) de Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) asociado con Chontalpo (Brachiaria decumbens) y Estrella africana (Cynodon plectostachyus) (T1), en compara- ción al sistema de solamente gramíneas (T2). Se utilizaron ocho becerros en crecimiento de raza Jersey en cada tratamiento. La composición botánica se conoció a través de la técnica de micriohistología en heces, mientras que la calidad de la dieta fue a través de la estimación de proteína cruda (PC), cenizas (Ce) y materia orgánica (MO), y fibra detergente neutro (FDN) y fibra detergente ácido (FDA). Los datos se analizaron mediante un modelo com- pletamente al azar y la comparación de medias se realizó a través de la prueba de Tukey. El T1 presentó un consumo de 68.41% de la gramínea y 31.59% de la arbórea y para el T2 la dieta contenía 100% de la gramínea. Respecto a la calidad de la dieta seleccionada, se encon-traron diferencias estadísticas (P

During the flowering seasons the speeies varied greatly and the seasons were seldom repeated (August-Oetober) with only three speeies and two speeies (April-June), whieh means that they eontinued throughout the months of the year. Three eolours of the flower were observed in total with gradient within these three eolours distributed to the studied speeies. In terms of the eolour of the peel, two eolours were distinguished only in favour of the brown-gray eolour, while the forms of eraeks on the outer peel surfaee were divided into three forms. On the other hand, eaeh type was independent when examining the eolour of the inner peel. The shape of the eross seetion of the braneh exeeeded 81.8% for the eireular shape on the angular shape, while two types of braneh thiekness were reeorded and exaetly the same for texture. It was possible to observe two forms of branehing of the flower-bearing branehes, whieh were very similar to those of the two forms (non-branehing and branehing) with a large differenee between the two forms of the flower's apex, at a rate of 20 times the round shape and 90.9% of the shape of the flower. Two flowers shoots growing types were observed named (Auxotelie and an Anauxotelie). Three main eolours, white, yellow and pink were distinguished and the flower head diameter varied widely between (6.5-30 mm). Flowers season seems to be in all of the year. Outer peel thiekness also varied from thiek to thin to intermediate. Three forms of peel fissures were found and 54.5% to mid-brown eolour. Inner peel eolour ean be a good item to be a key of elassifieation of this tree. Correlation eoeffieient between peel thiekness and outer peel eolour was 0.935. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burning fast-growing trees for energy production can be an effective alternative to coal combustion. Thus, lignocellulosic material, which can be used to obtain chemicals with a high added value, is highly abundant, easily renewed and usually inexpensive. In this work, hemicellulose extraction by acid hydrolysis of plant biomass from three different crops (Chamaecytisus proliferus, Leucaena diversifolia and Paulownia trihybrid) was modelled and the resulting solid residues were used for energy production. Results: The influence of the nature of the lignocellulosic raw material and the operating conditions used to extract the hemicellulose fraction on the heat capacity and activation energy of the subsequent combustion process was examined. The heat power and the activation energy of the combustion process were found to depend markedly on the hemicellulose content of the raw material. Thus, a low content in hemicelluloses resulted in a lower increased energy yield after acid hydrolysis stage. The process was also influenced by the operating conditions of the acid hydrolysis treatment, which increased the gross calorific value (GCV) of the solid residue by 0.6–9.7% relative to the starting material. In addition, the activation energy of combustion of the acid hydrolysis residues from Chamaecytisus proliferus (Tagasaste) and Paulownia trihybrid (Paulownia) was considerably lower than that for the starting materials, the difference increasing with increasing degree of conversion as well as with increasing temperature and acid concentration in the acid hydrolysis. The activation energy of combustion of the solid residues from acid hydrolysis of tagasaste and paulownia decreased markedly with increasing degree of conversion, and also with increasing temperature and acid concentration in the acid hydrolysis treatment. No similar trend was observed in Leucaena diversifolia (Leucaena) owing to its low content in hemicelluloses. Conclusions: Acid hydrolysis of tagasaste, leucaena and paulownia provided a valorizable liquor containing a large amount of hemicelluloses and a solid residue with an increased heat power amenable to efficient valorization by combustion. There are many potential applications of the hemicelluloses-rich and lignin-rich fraction, for example as multi-components of bio-based feedstocks for 3D printing, for energy and other value-added chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffaloes use wallowing behavior to release excess heat in tropical conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of silvopastoral systems in the feeding and thermoregulatory behavior of water buffaloes under moderate and intense heat stress. The behavior of water buffaloes was evaluated in two different production systems. The conventional system with Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) only, and the silvopastoral system with Guinea grass and Leucaena leucocephala trees. The relation between the frequency of animal activities and the length of time the animals engaged in each activity was measured during the day time (6:00–18:00 h) by visual observations at 10-min intervals. The results obtained suggest that buffaloes use tree shade to partially supplement wallowing. Feeding behavior increased under intense heat stress in the silvopastoral system indicating that it can be a promising alternative to improve the buffaloes rearing conditions in the tropics.

A case study was conducted to characterize indicators of the slaughter, yield and fractionation of bull carcasses from silvopasture, 100% of the area associated with Leucaena leucocephala, and star grass (Cynodon nlemfuencis). 48 bulls were used, in 4 grazing lots or case studies, the same number of animals per lot and 2 animals/ha. Case 1: 5/8 Holstein x 3/8 Zebu, in the rainy season, with 70 g of minerals/animal/day. Case 2: Zebu, in the dry season, with the same amount of the previous mineral supplement. Case 3: Zebu, in the dry season, supplemented with 1.50 kg/animal/day of rumen fermentation activator (11% CP and ME of 8 MJ/kg DM). Case 4: Charolais de Cuba, in the rainy season, with 2 kg/animal/day of a grain-based supplement (12% crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) of 10 MJ/kg of dry matter (DM)). The animals were kept in fast for 24 hours before slaughter, to take the post-roughing live weight. Slaughter indicators; digestive filling; carcasses performance; meat; bones; cover fat and cuts of higher commercial value from the leg region were determined. Regarding the live weight post-roughing, by s case study from 1-4; the empty digestive system predominated among the indicators of slaughter (17.00, 9.51, 9.71 and 8.09%), followed by contents of the digestive system (10.27, 14.13, 12.92 y 9.58%) and the skin (7.71, 10.09, 9.05 and 8.72%). From cases 1-4, the performance of cold carcass was 54.01, 54.48, 52.35 and 56.16%; regarding the cold carcass, the meat production was 65.04, 76.27, 75.15 and 68.75%, body fat of 8.28, 8.60, 9.17 and 7.23%; and in the contribution of the cuts with the highest commercial value of the hindquarters, the inside round (2.27, 2.42, 2.25 and 2.64%) and the leg tip (2.23, 2.44; 2.24 and 2.54%) stood out. With this study it was demonstrated that the digestive system was the most relevant indicator in slaughter; that the carcasses were low in fat, inside round and leg tip was the most representative in the posterior region and the highest yield of 56.16% with Charolais de Cuba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the 2.78-Mb circular genome sequence of Pyramidobacter sp. strain YE332, isolated from a fermentation of bovine rumen fluid, supplied with leaf material from Leucaena leucocephala cv. Cunningham. This genome sequence consists of 2,795,328 bp with 60% G + C content, 2,573 predicted coding DNA sequences, and 70 RNAs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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A study was conducted to evaluate the botanical composition and quality of the diet selected by cattle grazing an intensive silvopastoral system (50,000 ha-1 trees) of Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) associated with Chontalpo (Brachiaria decumbens) and African Star (Cynodon plectostachyus) (T1) compared to the grass-only system (T2). Eight growing calves of the Jersey breed were used in each treatment. The botanical composition was known through the technique of micriohistology in feces while the quality of the diet, through the estimation of crude protein (PC), ashes (Ce) and organic matter (MO) and neutral detergent fiber (FDN ) and acid detergent fiber (FDA). The data were analyzed using a completely random model and the comparison of means was made through the Tukey test. The T1 presented a consumption of 68.41% of the grass and 31.59% of the tree, for T2, the diet contained 100% of the grass. Regarding the quality of the selected diet, statistical differences were found (P <0.05) in the case of PC (T1 = 1 1.9%, T2 = 7.8%). It is concluded that the presence of the Leucaena tree in the system improves the quality of the selected diet of the bovines based on a more diverse botanical composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leucaena leucocephala and Casuarina equisetifolia are two fast-growing deciduous tropical hardwoods that were characterized for their morphological and chemical characteristics to assess their suitability for pulp production. The effects of kraft pulping sulfidity, cooking time, and cooking temperature on screened pulp yield and Kappa number were studied. Handsheets made from these pulps showed a vessel picking problem during printing that was reduced by treating the pulp with 0.1% cellulase and beating the pulp at high consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malaysia, the depletion of raw materials has begun to impact mills, as their production could decrease or cease. This will impact the Malaysian wood-based economy, both locally and globally. Usage of trees with fastgrowing characteristics is essential to add feedstock sources to mills. This study investigated the mechanical properties (MOR, MOR, IB, and screw withdrawal) of particleboard (density = 660 kg/m3) made of Leucaena leucocephala, rubberwood, and mixed tropical trees with different species ratios. The wood species ratios for the particleboards were 100% Leucaena, 50% Leucaena and 50% rubberwood, and 50% rubberwood and 50% mixed tropical wood. Boards with the dimensions 3680 mm × 2465 mm × 25 mm were produced. The results showed that all of the species ratios passed the minimum requirements for commercial use. The performance of the Leucaena particleboard was 17.40 MPa (MOR), 2654 MPa (MOE), 0.68 MPa (IB) and 623 N (Screw withdrawal). The Leucaena board performance matched that of the board made from the current raw materials used commercially (mixed tropical wood and rubberwood). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Grasslands / Forrajes Tropicales is the property of International Centre for Tropical Agriculture - CIAT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To evaluate the factors that affect efficiency in a Leucaena leucocephala cv Perú association with pastures for bovine fattening, 22 Zebu fattening cycles were studied on a farm of the Rectángulo Livestock Company, in Camagüey, Cuba, between 2002 and 2012. The local soil is brown without carbonates. The climate is tropical humid, and annual precipitation averages 1 183 mm . The factors evaluated were, food balance, duration of the fattening cycle, and quantity of animals/cycle. The daily weight gain and expenses/income per operation were also analyzed. The pasture and Leucaena percents were determined by plant counts. Food balances were made. Leucaena cv Perú reached final values of 93 % (P < 0.05) with an increase in common Bermuda grass and others. Short duration tests showed much higher gains (P < 0.05), with values above 1.0 kg/animal/day. The number of animal/cycle (P < 0.05) produced higher gains with fewer animals. Forest grazing in association with Leucaena leucocephala cv Perúgraminaeae in drylands produced mean daily gains above 0.800 kg/animal/day in the final stage of fattening bulls, according to food balances with adequate biological and economic results, and the best behavior in the shortest cycles, where the highest final weight/animal values were achieved, with fewer expenses and higher income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine leaf meal production performance and leaf meal product cost of cassava, leucaena and stylosanthes forage crops, in order to prioritize the rating of the leaf meal production for supplementation into poultry diets. The experimental forage crops were grown on up land in the north of Vietnam with an area of 500 m² per crop (100 m² x 5 replicates). The experiment was conducted in three years. The fresh biomass, fresh leaves, leaf meal productivity and the production cost of forage crops were examined. Leaf meal yield of cassava, leucaena and stylosanthes grass was respectively 9.225; 8.493 and 7.247 (tons/ha/ year). The ME yield (MJ/ha/year) was 76,434; 79,101 and 51,473, respectively. The crude protein yield (kg/ ha/year) was 1,997; 2,174 and 1,243. The production cost of 1kg DM, 1 MJ ME, 1kg CP of cassava leaf meals hereinafter considered as 100%, then that of leucaena was 95.2; 92.9 and 81.8%, that of stylosanthes was 142.2; 168.9 and 182.9%. With this result, the experimental crops grown for leaf meal production for chicken diet supplement were ranked in the priority order as follows: leucaena, cassava and stylosanthes grass, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

adsorption properties of Leucaena leucocephala biomass to clean malachite green contaminated water were investigated in this work. BET surface analysis showed a surface area of 0.5724 m2/g. Batch adsorption studies and isothermic studies determined that the best time and temperature for the adsorption process to become efficient were 60 min of contact time and 25 °C, respectively. The KF value of 0.3372 mg adsorbed per mg of adsorbent of the L. leucocephala biomass for malachite green was the highest at 50 °C. It was shown that the n values were n <1 which suggested that malachite green dye adsorption on L. leucocephala biomass is favorable. Values of the correlation coefficient (R2) indicated that the Freundlich isotherm can be used for the adsorption of malachite green on L. leucocephala. The results also suggest that L. leucocephala biomass can be utilized as an adsorbent for malachite green dye from wastewater at a lower cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transvaccenic acid (TVA), c9t11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) in bovine milk are associated with human health benefits. The effect of nutritional supplementation without (NSO) or with sunflower seed oil (63.3% linoleic acid and 28.3% oleic acid) at 20 g/kg (SO20) of dry matter (DM) and 40 g/kg of DM (SO40) was evaluated in milk cows foraging on Leucaena leucocephala in intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS). Two experiments were performed, the first on a specialized tropical dairy farm (STDF) and the second on a dual-purpose tropical farm (DPTF), where cattle are fed an average of 5.8 kg/d and 2.0 kg/d of concentrate, respectively, in addition to grazing on pasture. Sunflower seed oil supplementation tended to decrease forage intake but did not affect milk yield or the milk protein and lactose percentages in either experiment. The proportion of fat, total solids, and milk urea nitrogen (MUN) decreased with oil supplementation on the STDF. However, on the DPTF, these three variables did not change significantly when SO20 or SO40 were compared to NSO, but the values were higher for SO20 compared to SO40. The proportion of CLAc9t11 and TVA linearly increased with the two levels of supplementation in both experiments. Furthermore, the atherogenic FAs decreased, and the milk had greater amounts of unsaturated FAs (UFAs) and a lower atherogenic index. Supplementing cows under an ISS with sunflower seed oil increases the proportion of beneficial milk FAs. On the STDF oil supplementation produced milk with a lower fat content and a greater proportion of high-quality fatty acids, presenting an interesting possibility for fat restricted diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment is to determine the way to include some kinds of leaf meals in the diets of Luong Phuong parent stock and the effect it will have on egg yield and quality of laying hens. Cassava, leucaena leaf meals (CLM, LLM) and stylosanthes grass meal (SGM) were used in this trial. The experiment employed 630 laying hens, 84 roosters, allocated into 7 groups; each group consisted of 30 hens and 4 roosters in triple replication. The experimental groups were named as: The Control (CG), Experiment 1A, 2A, 3A and 1B, 2B, 3B. The diet offered to the Control was called the basal diet (BD) without inclusion of leaf meals; its ME and CP content complied with requirement standards for colored feather production parent stocks. The diets offered in the A groups were formulated with the edition of 6% CLM (for 1A), 6% LLM (for 2A) and 6% SGM (for 3A) with correction for ME and CP content which was similar to that of the BD (the first method). The diets provided for the B experimental groups were prepared by replacing 6% BD with CLM (for 1B), with LLM (for 2B) and with SGM (for 3B). This replacement without correction of ME and CP content met the requirement standard (the second method). The results showed that there was similar effect of CLM and LLM on egg yield and quality while the effect of SGM was significantly lowered. The effect of the first method of leaf meal inclusion into the diets was better than that of the second method. However, CLM and LLM showed good results in both methods, whereas SGM only had good result in the first method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leguminous forage shrub, Leucaena leucocephala, is one of the few nutritional options available to significantly improve beef productivity in Northern Australia. A mixed bacterial rumen inoculum for the detoxification of mimosine (present in Leucaena) and its toxic derivatives 3,4 DHP and 2,3 DHP has been produced in an anaerobic fermenter for the last 23 years by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, using the commercial cultivar Cunninghamii. The development and release of a new psyllid-resistant cultivar ‘Redlands’, offers potential for increasing uptake by the beef industry but brings unanswered questions about its impact on the survival of the toxin degrading bacteria Synergistes jonesii and the overall efficacy of the current inoculum. A series of 30-day anaerobic fermentations were undertaken using the same starter cultures used in the production of commercial inoculum but fed daily with one of three Leucaena cultivars: Cunninghamii, Redlands or Wondergraze. Populations of S. jonesii were monitored daily using a quantitative PCR assay and the ability of the fermentation to detoxify mimosine and its derivatives were assayed on days 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30. Feeding the new Redlands cultivar had a negative impact on S. jonesii numbers and the ability to detoxify 3,4 DHP. However, as fermentation time increased, the S. jonesii populations adapted to the Redlands cultivar. A follow-on fermentation using a starter culture obtained from Day 30 of a Redlands fermentation, showed an immediate increase in S. jonesii populations and was able to detoxify mimosine and its toxic derivatives.

Current experiment evaluated the effects of inclusion of leucaena leaf hay (LLH) on the performance and nutrient digestibility of diets for laying hens during the growth phase (14-18 weeks). Ninety pullets (Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire) were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments (0%, 5% and 10% inclusion of LLH) and five replicates, with six birds. Feed intake (g bird-1 day-1), weight gain (g bird-1 day-1), feed conversion (kg kg-1), metabolizable energy intake (kcal bird-1 day-1), intake of crude protein (g bird-1 day-1), coefficients of dry matter (CDDM) and gross energy (CDCE), nitrogen digestibility (CDN), apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn) were evaluated. The inclusion of LLH did not statistically influence CDN, AME and AMEn of diet. However, this inclusion significantly affected CDDM and CDCE, resulting in lower CDDM and CDCE with inclusion of 10%. Whereas the use of nutrients by chicks fed on diets with the inclusion of LLH allowed the same amount of metabolizable energy, inclusion of up to 10% of LLH diet during the growth phase (14-19 weeks) of laying hens (Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire) may be recommended.

This study carried out leucaena torrefaction by using microwave heating to investigate the fuel properties of biochar and the energy efficiency of the technique. Both maximum temperature and heating rate increased with increasing microwave power level. Processing time was also an important operational parameter, but its effect was weaker than that of microwave power. The heating value of torrefied product was higher at higher power level and longer processing time, but the mass and energy yields were lower due to higher energy input and thus more intense reaction. Heating value was approximately 30 MJ/kg at a microwave power level of 250 W for 30 min processing time. The fuel ratio of torrefied leucaena was up to 3.7, which is much higher than that of bituminous coal and thus can be regarded as an alternative fuel to replace coal or co-fire with it. The energy return on investment of microwave torrefaction of leucaena can be 1.4, 17, and 34 when the handling capacities are 8, 100, and 200 g, respectively. Therefore, microwave torrefaction of leucaena is a promising technique that can be feasible if deployed at industrial scale. Activation energy and pre-exponential factor were 24.46 kJ/mol and 9.66 1/s, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a descriptive and evaluative analysis of the productive and environmental of SPSi with Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, emphasizing the nutritional quality, biomass production, voluntary intake, animal productivity and greenhouse gas emission aspects. For such purpose, a bibliographic review was made about the studies in the last 15 years, concerning animal production systems under tropical conditions, stressing the ones conducted in Colombia. It was noticed that the forage offer in SPSi with leucaena has a protein content higher than 22 % and a lower fiber content (20-30 %) with regards to most tropical pastures. Additionally, leucaena has the capacity to withstand intense browsing, and its presence increases plant and animal productivity. The animals produce at least two or three times more meat and milk ha-1 year-1 as the result of a higher nutrient intake and higher forage offer, because with this legume the dry matter (DM) intake can be 1,3 times higher than the one observed in conventional systems, and the forage production can be from 5 to 18 t DM ha-1. On the other hand, the inclusion of L. leucocephala allows to decrease the enteric emissions of CH4 in amounts close to 20 % per kilogram of produced meat or milk and per kilogram of consumed dry matter. Compared with the traditional systems, in the ones in which L. leucocephala is included, the efficiency in production is increased and the negative environmental effects of animal husbandry are decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, we report the characterization of triacylglycerols and fatty acids in Leucaena (Leucaena leucephala) oil [LUCO], an unexplored nontraditional non-medicinal plant belonging to the family Fabaceae. LUCO was converted to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). We analyzed the triacylglycerols (TAGs) of pure LUCO and their FAMEs by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) followed by multivariate analysis for discrimination among the FAMEs. Our investigations for the analysis of LUCO samples represent noble features of glycerides. A new type of ion source, coupled with high-resolution TOF-MS was applied for the comprehensive analysis of triacylglycerols. The composition of fatty acid based LUCO oil was studied using Gas Chromatography (GC-FID). The major fatty acid components of LUCO oil are linoleic acid (52.08%) oleic acid (21.26%), palmitic acid (7.91%) and stearic acid (6.01%). A metal analysis in LUCO was done by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The structural elucidation and thermal stability of LUCO were studied by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques and TGA-DSC, respectively. We also measured the cytotoxicity of LUCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]