Improving edible biomass production of Tithonia diversifolia (Wild Sunflower) and methods for increasing foliage intake and growth rate of goats 

Nguyen Van Sao, Nguyen Thi Mui* and Dinh Van Binh 

Goat and Rabbit Research Center,
* NIAS

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of density (row widths of 35, 55 and  75 cm) between rows of Tithonia and fertilizer level (10, 20 and 30 tonnes/ha).  The row width of 55 cm gave the highest yield of 210 tonnes fresh biomass/ha/year. Tithonia was supplemented with foliage (1% of LW as DM) from jackfruit (TD-JF), banana (TD-BAN), Caliandra (TD-CAL), Guinea grass TD-GG.or no foliage (TD). On all treatments,concentrate was given at 1% of LW.  Growth rate was highest on Jack fruit and lowest with Guinea grass which did not differ from Tithonia (TD).

Figure 1. Growth rates of goats fed tithonia diversifolia and different foliages