Nutritive Evaluation of Forage Plants Grown in South Sulawesi, Indonesia II. Mineral Composition

In order to evaluate the nutritive value of the forage plants in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, 266 samples (61 grasses and 65 legumes grown in the dry season, 60 grasses and 80 legumes grown in the rainy season) were collected from the highland and the lowland in 1998 to 2000, and were subjected to the determination of mineral composition. The mean contents of Ca, Mg, P, Na and K in grasses were 0.6, 0.3, 0.5, 0.1 and 2.3%, respectively, and in legumes were 1.8, 0.5, 0.8, 0.1 and 1.7%, respectively. The least-squares analysis of variance demonstrated as follows; For the grasses, Ca content was significantly affected by the year${\times}$season, year${\times}$altitude, and the season${\times}$altitude interactions. Mg content was significantly affected by year and season and P content was significantly affected by altitude, year and by the year${\times}$altitude interaction. For the legumes, Ca content was significantly affected by altitude and the year${\times}$season, season${\times}$altitude and the year${\times}$altitude interactions and Mg content was significantly affected by season or altitude and by the year${\times}$season interaction. These results indicate that Ca content of forage plants grown at the lowland in rainy season was higher than at the highland in dry season. Mg content of forage plants grown at the lowland in dry season was higher than at the highland in rainy season and P content of forage plants grown in the highland was higher than in the lowland.