EVALUATIONS DE LA BIOMASSE FOURRAGERE FOLIAIRE ET DE LA COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE DES FEUILLES D UN LIGNEUXFOURRAGER SAHELIEN : MAERUA.CRASSIFOLIA FORSSK

A woody fodder species, M. crassifolia is particularly sought after by animals, especially during the dryseason. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the leaf production and the chemical composition of M. crassifolia leaves in the rural commune of Ourafane in the southern sahelian area. Leaf production was estimated using the standard branch method combining allometric equations with dendrometric parameters. The phytochemical study of the leaves was carried out through the collection of 10 leaf samples of 50g each, taken from 10 individuals. These samples were analyzed at the Internationl Crops Research Institute for the Semi-AridTropics (ICRISAT) Soil Analysis laboratory. Thus, leaf production was estimated using the exponential prediction model from the circumference of the trunk of the shrub : Pf = 0.0599e15.802CT (Pf, Leaf production in KgMS and CT, trunk circumference in m). Leaf production is 23.65Kg DM/ha. The leaves are essentially made up of organic matter (68.76±1.77%) and are rich in crude proteins (26.63±1.66% MAT on average). They also contain minerals, the main ones being potassium (0.45±0.56) and phosphorus (0.13±0.02). The results of this study will not only contribute to better management of the species but also and above all, they can be used by the livestock service for a rapid and reliable assessment of woody fodder production.