Sesbania as Fodder and Livestock Feed – High-Protein Forage

Overview

Sesbania leaves and tender shoots are highly nutritious livestock fodder, containing 20-30% crude protein on a dry matter basis — comparable to or exceeding alfalfa. The leaves are palatable to cattle, goats, sheep, and rabbits, and can be fed fresh, dried, or as leaf meal.

Details

In agroforestry systems, sesbania hedgerows are regularly pruned to provide protein-rich supplementary feed for ruminants. The digestibility of sesbania foliage is 55-65%, and its amino acid profile makes it an excellent complement to cereal-based diets that are typically deficient in lysine and methionine.

Why Choose Us

Sesbania fodder is especially valuable in smallholder farming systems where commercial protein supplements are expensive or unavailable. Growing sesbania on field boundaries and bunds provides a dual benefit of soil improvement through root nitrogen fixation and high-quality animal feed from leaf harvests.