The nutritive value and forage productivity of Leucaena leucocephala

65 publications on Leucaena for nutritive value and forage productivity (1946–1992) were reviewed. The median chemical composition for leucaena leaf meal [g 100 g−1 dry matter (DM basis)] was calculated to be 4.15 nitrogen (N), 29.2 crude protein (CP), 4.3 mimosine, 19.2 crude fibre (CF), 10.5 ash, 1.01 tannin (Tn), 1.9 calcium (Ca), 0.23 phosphorous (P), 0.34 magnesium (Mn), 1.7 potassium (K), 237.5 ppm carotene. The median chemical composition (g 100 g−1 DM of Leucaena forage was 3.52 N, 22.03 CP, 2.14 mimosine, 3.5 CF, 39.5 neutral detergent fibre (NDF), 35.1 acid detergent fibre (ADF), 4.71 hemicellulose, 18.3 ash, 1.05 tannin, 0.22 sulphur, 1.80 Ca, 0.26 P, 0.33 Mg, 1.45 K, 169.5 mg kg−1 zinc (Zn), and 26 mg kg−1 copper (Cu) and 881.6 mg kg−1 oxalate. The digestible energy (DE) value of Leucaena forage varied from 11.6 to 12.9 MJ kg−1 DM, the total apparent digested crude protein (TADCP) reported ranged from 64.7 to 78.0%. A model developed in one source suggested 42% rumen degradable protein (RDP), with 48% of the undegradable protein (UDP) being digested post ruminally, giving a TADCP value of 70%. Leucaena forage productivity indicated that the optimum harvesting interval or age at harvest should be about 8 weeks or just before the onset of flowering.