Production, distribution of biomass and chemical composition of “faveleira”

Abstract

Aiming to evaluate the biomass production, distribution and chemical composition of Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus (Muell. Arg.) Pax et Hoffman, twenty  plants of natural regeneration with approximately three year old, from an area of tertiary natural vegetation in the semi-arid regio of Pernambuco State, were selected randomly. Plant height and trunk diameter at 1.30 m from soil surface were measured. Plants were cut and separated in leaves, fine  branches and trunk + thick branches. The results showed that the mean height of the plants was 3.6 m and the diameter was 2.8 cm. The dry matter content in the trunk + thick branches, thin branches and leaves was: 51.44; 40.41 and 23.25% respectively. Each plant produced 5.07 kg of dry matter,  being 68.6% from thick branches, 17.7% from thin branches and 13.6% from leaves. The crude protein, mineral contents and in vitro dry matter  digestibility of the leaves presented higher values (19.15%; 9.8%; 65.4%) followed by thin branches (7.09%; 7.25%; 37.57%) and trunk + thick branches (6.07, 3.97; 30.02%), respectively. The mineral content and dry matter in vitro digestibility showed this pattern (leaves > thin branches > trunk + tick  brunches) with values of 9.8, 7.2 and 4,0%, 64.47, 37.57 and 30.02%, respectively.