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Forages and water plants

CelAgrid has selected forages that are simple and appropriate in term of cultivation, potentiality and adaptation for farmer communities. Among these forages, cassava, mulberry, sweet potato, taro, Cassia stemia , leucaena, water spinach, duckweed, etc


Cassava is cultivated mainly for leaves production to be used for animal feeding trials at CelAgrid however, the production is not enough for trials and part of cassava leaves has been bought from farmers in Takeo and Kampong Cham. Cow manure has been used as basal fertilizer at start of planting and effluent discharged from biodigesters has been as top dressing after each harvest of the leaves. The harvest of the cassava tops has been more than 3 years however, the flood in 2006 damaged most of the plots which need to be replanting. Two varieties are planted at CelAgrid the local red petiole and KU 50 (=KM 94). The leaves of both varieties can be used for livestock feeding after processing through sun-drying, wilting and ensiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Mulberry ( Morus alba ) is traditionally cultivated to feed silk worm however CelAgrid is developing alternative to use mulberry leaves for livestock feeding particularly pigs. The variety cultivated at CelAgrid was brought from the Goats and Rabbits Research centre in Vietnam in 1992. It is a variety which produces large leaves which is a good source for livestock feeding. An area of 50 x 50 is presently used for mulberry leaves production. At present the leaves production is used mainly for pig feeding trial at CelAgrid. Although yield is low compare with other forage crops, mulberry has high protein content (18-25% in DM) and importantly it has good biological value.


Both varieties; land and aquatic water spinach; are cultivated at CelAgrid to be used for both human food and animal feed. The production of land water spinach is up to 28 tons per ha per year and the harvest is in every 20-25 days with the fertilization of 180 kg (effluent from biodigester) of nitrogen per ha per year. However the land water spinach can be grown any time of the year but it can be harvested only 3 times with reasonable yield. While the aquatic water spinach is more appropriate for the rainy season and the harvest can be done through the rainy season. The most important of aquatic water spinach although very poor yield due to lack of water, it can survive throughout dry season and starts to re-grow when starts raining or water is available.


Aquatic water spinach grown at CelAgrid

Land water spinach with good irrigation and fertilization

Two cement tanks were built in 2003 for duckweed production and it has been used mainly for fish feeding. The production of duckweed is through out the year with good management such the level of water in the tanks and fertilization (effluent from biodigesters). Duck has excellent nutritive biological value.

 

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