Evaluation of Provenance Variation in Condensed Tannin Content of Fresh Leaves of Calliandra calothyrsus

A field experiment was conducted with Calliandra calothyrsus of fifteen provenances to evaluate the variation in the condensed tannin content of fresh leaves. Plants were raised in a nursery for three months and planted in the field. Experimental design was line planting of double hedgerows (3 m long plot, 1/2 meter interval, 45 plants in each plot) with 5 replicates. Plants were lopped every 5 months and samples (10 different plants within a plot; 4 newly flushed leaves, 4 partially expanded leaves and 4 mature full expanded leaves from each of 10 trees in a plot) were collected and were put on ice before transfer to the laboratory. Proanthocyanidine was extracted in aqueous acetone, and total extractable proanthcyanidine (TEPA) and total proanthocyanidine (TOPA) were measured. In addition, proximate analyses were made of different provenances. Crude protein contents varied from 19.74% to 16.45%; in vitro organic matter digestibility ranged from 36.09% to 23.32%. TEPA content ranged from 11.22 to 16.01 (measured as absorbance at $550nm,\;g^{-1}$ DM) and TOPA from 24.57 to 31.72 (measured as absorbance at $550nm,\;g^{-1}$ DM) TEPA and TOPA had a positive correlation, whereas crude protein content of Calliandra was negatively correlated with TEPA and TOPA. Provenances, such as Georgesville (Belize), local, Coban (Guatemala), Patulul (Guatemala), Bombana (Mexico) can be selected on the basis of nutritive value of fodder.