Preferencia de vacunos por el follaje de doce especies con potencial para sistemas agrosilvopastoriles en el Estado Trujillo, Venezuela.

With the objective of knowing the preference of young cattle for twelve forage species of the Trujillo State, Venezuela (Chlorophom tinctoria, Morus alba, Pithecellobium pedicellare, Gliricidia sepium, Guazuma ulmifolia, Cordia alba, Trichantera gigantea, Tithonia diversifolia, Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa oleífera, Azadirachta indica and Samanea saman) a cafeteria test was performed through foliage intake measurements, by means of a Latin square design with a 12-day evaluation period. The chemical composition (CP, CE, NDF, Panicum maximum phenols, condensed tannins, protein precipitable tannins and total sterols) and the in situ ruminai degradability (DMD and OMD) of the forages were determined. The most preferred species were: P. pedicellare (327,98 g DM), L. leucocephala (325,63 g DM), M. alba (293,37 g DM), G ulmifolia (292,48 g DM), C. tinctoria (277,18 g DM) and C. alba (274,49 g DM). The foliages of G sepium (108,05 gDM), T. diversifolia (106,09 g DM), Ai oleífera (76,28 g DM), A indica (76,19 g DM) and S. saman (58,72 g DM) were moderately consumed. However, the biomass of T. gigantea (1,39 g DM) was practically rejected. During the experimental period different trends were observed in the intake of each species. Nevertheless, no significant relationship was observed among the intake and chemical composition, the concentration of secondary metabolites and ruminai degradability. It is concluded that to carry out preference trials with animals for the selection of species with potential for silvopastoral systems is important.