Chemical composition, rumen degradability and crude protein fractionation of some commercial and improved cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) haulm varieties

Seasonal chemical composition, in sacco organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) degradabilities and CP fractions of haulms of three improved (ITA2, ITA6 and ITA8) and three commercial (Oloyin, Peu and Sokoto) cowpea varieties harvested in wet and dry seasons were evaluated in a 2 A— 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Effective degradation of OM and CP was estimated at assumed outflow rates of 2 and 4% h−1. Commercial haulms (all the other parts of the cowpea minus the grains) had greater (P