Abstract
Assessments were made in 15 pigeon-pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] accessions of fodder production from annually sown, coppiced and uncut plants after one season of growth; green leaf retention seed harvest; and the N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations in forage and seed at a site in the miombo woodlands of western Tanzania. There were considerable variations between the accessions in all the attributes investigated. These variations were, however, less marked in the drought years. Moisture stress resulted in the reduction of both forage and seed yields, but the reduction in seed yield was greater than forage yield. Forage N, Ca, K and Mg contents were adequate for production in beef cattle, but the P levels in all accessions did not meet the production requirements. Based on the superiority of the coppiced crops in forage production, a compromise strategy of crop management to optimize production is suggested.
