Work

Optimizing harvest stage and drying time to enhance yield and nutritive quality of whole-plant Tithonia diversifolia forage meal in arid tropics

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: , also known as Mexican sunflower, is a tropical shrub with high forage potential, but limited information exists on the optimal harvest stage to balance yield and nutritional value. Methods: A 3 × 3 factorial design was implemented under tropical dry forest conditions in northern Peru, combining three regrowth stages (30, 45, and 60 days) with three plant fractions (leaf, stem, and leaf-stem mixture), with four replicates per treatment. Agronomic traits, dry matter yield, proximate composition, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were evaluated. Results: Biomass yield increased significantly with harvest age, reaching 11.93 kg fresh weight and 3.45 kg dry matter per plant at 60 days, although with reduced nutritional quality due to a higher stem proportion. Leaves harvested at 30 days had the highest crude protein (16.5%) and soluble carbohydrates (48.2%) with the lowest crude fiber (19.3%). In contrast, the 45-day leaf samples achieved the highest IVDMD (62.34 ± 1.42%). A strong positive correlation was observed between leaf area and biomass yield (r = 0.93), and a moderate negative correlation with digestibility (r = -0.42). Discussion: as a strategic forage alternative for sustainable feeding systems in tropical dry environments.

Source: Frontiers in Plant Science

DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1644949