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What is Macroptilium atropurpureum? Introducing this leguminous forage

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Macroptilium atropurpureum, native to Central America and South America, was introduced to Australia from Mexico, and was introduced to China from Australia for trial planting in 1974. It is now cultivated in Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and other provinces and regions, where it performs well. The leaves of Macroptilium atropurpureum are green with sparse hairs, the underside has fine silvery-gray down, and the raceme is deep purple. It is an excellent leguminous forage, suitable for both green feeding and hay making. Cattle and sheep like to eat it, and deer especially like it; the seeds are favored by birds such as quail, pigeons and turkeys. It has strong regrowth capacity and can be cut 2 to 3 times a year, producing fresh

Macroptilium atropurpureum, native to Central America and South America, was introduced to Australia from Mexico, and was introduced to China from Australia for trial planting in 1974. It is now cultivated in Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and other provinces and regions, where it performs well. The leaves of Macroptilium atropurpureum are green with sparse hairs, the underside has fine silvery-gray down, and the raceme is deep purple. It is an excellent leguminous forage, suitable for both green feeding and hay making. Cattle and sheep like to eat it, and deer especially like it; the seeds are favored by birds such as quail, pigeons and turkeys. It has strong regrowth capacity and can be cut 2 to 3 times a year, producing 45000 to 60000 kg of fresh grass or 8250 to 9000 kg of hay per hectare. According to an analysis by the Liangshan Prefecture Grassland Station of the nutrient content in the stems and leaves of Macroptilium atropurpureum at the budding stage, crude protein was 17.70%, crude fat 4.92%, crude fiber 37.28%, nitrogen-free extract 32.30%, crude ash 7.80%, calcium 1.22%, and phosphorus 0.24%; additionally, according to research by the Guangxi Institute of Animal Husbandry, the digestibility by cattle of the various nutrients in the stems and leaves of Macroptilium atropurpureum was 8.0% for crude protein, 71.0% for crude fiber, and 85.6% for nitrogen-free extract, and the total digestible nutrients in each kilogram of stem and leaf dry matter reached 147.5 g.

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