Nutritional Composition and In Vitro Ruminal Digestibility of Crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.) in Monoculture or Interseeded with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) and Lablab (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects interseeding crabgrass (CG) with two annual summer legumes on forage nutritional composition, dry matter (DM) yield, and in vitro fiber digestibility. conducted as a randomized complete block design four replicates per treatment. Plots were randomly assigned one six mix treatments. Crabgrass, cowpea (CWP), lablab (LL) planted monoculture or mixtures, resulting Throughout growing season (three cuts), CG had highest biomass followed by grown mixtures CWP LL, whereas legume monocultures lowest yield. Cowpea LL concentration CP digestibility, while lowest. Furthermore, mixture boosted digestibility intermediate levels those observed between both CG. Regardless treatment, quality yield first harvest, drastic decline following harvests. In conclusion, benefits mixing might be less than expected should carefully evaluated livestock producers, especially when considering DM quality, pasture seeding costs.