Nutritional Quality of Dominant Herbaceous Forages: A Comparative Study of Burnt and Unburnt Areas of Kikulula Ranch, Tanzania

Herbaceous plants are the primary forage of livestock on rangelands and, hence, are important for the sustainability of ranches. Herbaceous plants are susceptible to fires that may affect forage quality either positively or negatively. This study aimed to evaluate the forage quality of the dominant herbaceous plants in burnt and unburnt areas of Kikulula Ranch (located between 1.5° and 1.8° S and 31.2° and 31.5° E), focusing on crude protein (CP), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF). Importance value index of common herbaceous plants and nutrient quality of the three most abundant forage species were computed by standard methods. Themeda triandra, Loudetia kagerensis and Desmodium uncinatum were the most common fodder species. CP levels in Themeda triandra and Desmodium uncinatum were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in burnt areas than in unburnt areas, indicating that burning promotes protein synthesis and growth. Alternatively, in Themeda triandra, NDF levels were higher in unburnt areas (p < 0.05), indicating reduced forage consumption and digestibility for livestock. On the other hand, ADF levels did not differ significantly between burnt and unburnt areas (p > 0.05). In Desmodium uncinatum, NDF and ADF contents were not different between the burnt and unburnt areas (p > 0.05). Furthermore, in Loudetia kagerensis, the levels of CP, NDF and ADF did not differ between burnt and unburnt parts (p > 0.05). Hence, the study recommends Themeda triandra and Desmodium uncinatum as quality forages with high crude protein, particularly in rangelands susceptible to frequent fires.