NUTRITIVE QUALITY EVALUATION OF IMPROVED NAPIER GRASS AND ITS MIXTURE WITH Centrosema pubescens USING NEAR INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROSCOPY (NIRS)

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to determine the Nutritive quality evaluation of improved Napier grass and its mixture with Centrosema pubescence using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). Napier grass is a widely cultivated forage grass in tropical regions, while Centrosema pubescence is a leguminous forage plant known for its nitrogen-fixing abilities. In this research, we had three samples, improved napier grass, Centrosema pubescence and a mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence. Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy was employed as a rapid and nondestructive analytical technique to determine the nutritive quality of the samples. The crude protein of the samples where significantly different (P < 0.05) with values being, improved napier grass 13.76%, mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence 19.36% and Centrosema pubescence 23.32%. the crude fibre of the sample where significantly different (P < 0.05) with values being, improved napier grass 19.01%, mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence 15.53% and Centrosema pubescence 14.33%. The samples showed significant difference (P < 0.05) for ether extract with values being, improved napier grass 1.56%, mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence 2.49% and centrosema pubescence 3.18%. the dry matter percentage show that there is a significant difference (P< 0.05) between the samples, improved napier grass 91.26%, mixture of improved napier grass and centrosema pubescence 91.77% and 13 centrosema pubescence 91.37%. There was significant difference (P< 0.05) in the Acid Detergent Fibre of the samples with the values being, improved napier grass 42.33%, mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence 35.70% and Centrosema pubescence 29.21%. the neutral detergent fibre of the samples were significantly different (P< 0.05) with values being, improved napier grass 69.17%, mixture of improved napier grass and Centrosema pubescence 57.19% and Centrosema pubescence 46.86%. The results revealed that NIRS is a valuable tool for the rapid assessment of nutritive quality in forage materials, offering insight into variations in key nutritional parameters. These findings are essential for optimizing livestock nutrition and forage management practices, ultimately contributing to enhanced livestock productivity and sustainable agricultural systems.