Effect of Plant age on DM yield and nutritive value of some leguminous plants ( Cyamopsis tetragonoloba , Lablab purpureus and Clitoria ( Clitoria ternatea )

Three leguminous crops, Guar ( Cyamopsis tetragonoloba ), lubia a fin (Lablab purpureus ) and Clitoria ( Clitoria ternatea ), were harvested at three maturity periods 45 ,60, and 75 days to study the effect of maturity on the nutritive value in terms of dry matter (DM) yield, chemical composition, calculated in vitro organic matter digestibility (IOMD%), metabolizable energy (ME) and relative feed values (RFV). The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with three replication. The data were subjected to analysis of variance according to (ANOVA) for factorial arrangement. The results revealed that the highest CP was noted for Cyamopsis tetragonoba 22.3%, 23% and 22% at 45, 60 and 75days harvesting times respectively. The lower values of ADF were observed for Cyamopsis tetragonoba particularly at first and second harvesting times 35.56% and 33.61% at 45 and 60days respectively. Accordingly the highest RFVs were 141, 123 and 94 at 45 days recorded by lablab purpures , Cyamopsis tetragonlob, and clitoria ternatea respectively and then decreased with age with increasing NDF and ADF. The same trend was kept in IOMD% 42%, 38% and 34% among species respectively at 45days harvesting time and this might be due to low fibre content particularly ADF in younger plants. Macro minerals value were sufficient to meet animals requirements, Ca:P ratio of Lablab purpureus and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba were more favourable at the late maturity 2:1 this may be due to decline of Ca with age with slight increase in P contents. According to RFV and regardless CP content which is higher in Cyamopsis tetragonloba, lablab purpureus ranked first followed by Cyamopsis tetragonloba, and Clitoria ternatea .