Markus asked:
>Have you also planned to plant Leucena trees in the grass land to
>increase the nutritional value of the fodder or have you foreseen there
>to grow other leguminose plants ?

Leucaena was the "sexy" fodder tree of the 70's and 80's due to its robust
growth, extremely high yield of quality forage (24% protein, about 50% of which
was UDP or not degraded in the rumen), high palateability, and reasonable
wood quality. The plague of psyllid louse that hit Asia in the late 80's and beyond,
killing up to 100% of some stands, led to it falling out of favour.

Different species of the genus Gliracidia (such as G. maculata) were planted
in preference; the fodder production per hectare was lower, palateability is
lower and cattle strongly prefer wilted material to fresh, but it is impervious
to psyllid louse.

The site of the abattoir is in the Bukit Badung region of Bali. This region was
the hunting estate of the royal family of Badung throughout the Dutch colonial
period, being unsuitable for rice cultivation. It was originally teak forest
until the Japanese invasion; Japanese carpetbaggers subsequently levelled the
forests and exported the timber, leaving the sensitive environment of the Bukit
vulnerable as it is readily eroded. Cultivation and then wild propagation of
Leucaena and later Gliracidia on the Bukit have led to the Bukit being very
densely populated with leguminous trees.

Yields of pure napier grass stands are in the vicinity of 20T DM/Ha, if
fertilised. Yields of leucaena and gliracidia leaf per Ha are not well
documented in our region, but 10-15T DM/Ha/year would be a conservative
estimate.

Commercial leucaena plantations in northern Australia plant trees in rows 5 m
apart, with grass growing in between rows. This allows adequate sunlight to be
exposed to tree crowns, and for plantation development cost/Ha to be feasible.
An intake of 2 parts tropical grass to 1 part leucaena leaf gives a very
acceptable rate of gain for grazing steers in northern Australia (1 kg/d cp.
1.5 kg/day in the feedlot). Increased yield of grass andd increased protein
content of that grass will be noted provided that moisture competition is not a
factor. However, it often is.

In answer to your question about legume trees for fodder, we aim to receive
much of that from our neighbours on a Rp/kg basis. We will plant our own but
land is scarce and the scarified seed for psyllid tolerant leucaena is over
USD$40/kg. Some gliracidia will be planted around the site for shade and earth
stabilisation, and we will cut it periodically for fodder, but we probably
won't have enough to be self-suffiicient.

--
Dr.Simon E.F. Appleby B.V.Sc., M.V.St.
Managing Director, Pacific Rim Livestock Services Pty Ltd
ACN 081 076 566

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