ABSTRACT
Summary Rice stubble left standing in paddy fields after rice harvest is the major source of forage for livestock in the dry season in northeast Thailand. Although the quantity of this stubble is generally not limiting, its quality as a forage is very low, and substantial live-weight losses in livestock usually occur by the end of the dry season. 227A trial was conducted to evaluate a range of forage legumes that could be grown on rice-paddy walls to supplement rice stubble as a dry-season feed. Seven legumes were planted at two sites in villages close to Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand. The dry-matter yield and nitrogen content of each species were measured in 2 consecutive years just prior to the rice harvest. In both years, Shrubby stylo (Stylosanthes scabra cv. Seca), Verano stylo (S. hamata cv. Verano), and Viscosa stylo (S. viscosa) were the most productive species, with mean dry-matter yields of 4,800, 3,320, and 2,340 kg/ha/yr, respectively. A simple cultivation treatment improved legume establishment and growth, particularly in the first year. Nitrogen (N) contents ranged from 0.8% N in Shrubby stylo to 3 % N in leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala). Although the yield of Shrubby stylo was the highest, a large proportion of its yield was inedible thick-stem material, so its effective yield was considerably lower. Verano stylo was considered the most suitable legume for growing on paddy walls. It established and regenerated easily, persisted well, was readily eaten by livestock, and substantially increased the quality and quantity of fodder available to livestock from the paddy walls.
