Nutritional value of two plant species containing Salvia hydrangea and Sophora alopecuroides in two phenological stages

Nowadays, the nutritional dimensions of some range and mountain plants for livestock are somewhat unclear, while awareness of the nutritional value of these plants can help the animal husbandries to provide an ideal diet. Hence, some chemical compounds, minerals, gas production parameters and other fermentation parameters of two plant species (including Salvia hydrangea and Sophora alopecuroides) growable in rangelands of Torbat-e Jam (spring 2018) were determined in two phenological growth stages (vegetative and flowering) and then they were compared in a completely randomized design using SAS software. Different chemical and mineral compounds were observed between the two plants and their two different growth stages. The highest amount of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber (42.40 and 30.60%, respectively) and acid detergent lignin (11.88%) were related to Sophora alopecuroides in flowering phase and the highest amount of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium was observed in the vegetative phase. Gas production parameters and other fermentation parameters were also different between two plants, so that the highest amount of gas production after 12, 24 and 48 h incubation (40.76, 51.25, 53.98 ml), potential gas production (57.19 ml), organic matter and dry matter digestibility (65.90 and 69.30%, respectively), metabolizable energy (9.29 MJ/kg DM), net energy for lactation (5.54 MJ/kg DM), and total volatile fatty acids (56.85 mmol/L) were observed in vegetative stage of Salvia hydrangea. Both two studied plants, especially in the vegetative stage, have a fairly good nutritional value, but according to the laboratory results, Salvia hydrangea seems to have a higher nutritional potential.