PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF FIVE COWPEA [(Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)] LINES AS FEED RESOURCES FOR RUMINANT PRODUCTION IN BURKINA FASO

The main food resource for ruminant production in Burkina Faso is natural grazing, which cannot sustain ruminant production all year round. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate cultivated forages including crop residues such as fodder whose nutritional values must be verified before they are used in ruminant feed. To this end, samples of the fodder of five cowpea lines [(Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)] created at the Saria station were analysed to determine their nutritional values using existing standard techniques. Obtained results revealed dry matter (DM) contents ranging from 91.12 to 91.50%, organic matter (OM) from 83.05 to 90.20%, crude protein (CP) from 13.98% to 17.47 and crude fiber (CB) from 26.45% to 31.85%. Lines BC3F10P34-3 and KVx745-11P contained the highest total nitrogen content and low average crude fiber values. Therefore, these two cowpea lines could be exploited in an appropriate feeding strategy for rural ruminant production.