RESEARCHERS STUDYING SESBANIA POTENTIAL AS FERTILISER, LIVESTOCK FEED

From Kurniawati Kamarudin

HAINAN (CHINA), May 8 (Bernama) -- The Sesbania plan or turi, a type of legume from the Fabaceae family, which grows abundantly in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, has been identified as having potential as organic fertiliser and high-nutrient feed for livestock.

The latest discovery regarding this plant results from a decade of study by a team of researchers from the Hainan Province Seed Industry Laboratory.

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Researcher Dr Wang Fuqian said 400 plant species, including Sesbania, have been studied and grown in high-salinity, acidic and alkaline soils, and Sesbania was found to thrive in the tropical climate of the province.

“We found the amount of nitrogen and organic carbon in the soil had increased significantly, thereby nourishing the crops, which indirectly reduces the use of chemical fertilisers.

“Last year, we cultivated onions and Sesbania alternately in an area in the Shandong Province and found that the onion yields increased compared to before implementing the rotation,” he told Bernama.

He said this when receiving a visit from journalists representing 11 major media outlets from nine ASEAN countries participating in the China Up Close Get to Know Hainan programme recently organised by the China Media Group.

Wang said continuous land use would affect soil fertility, adding that planting Sesbania until it reaches maturity and ploughing it into the soil would help raise soil nitrogen levels, which will benefit the subsequent crops cultivated in the area.

He said researchers are also studying this species that thrives in hot and humid conditions as livestock feed to tackle shortages in the country and reduce dependence on imported feed.

“Sesbania’s disadvantage is the tough stem, which is unsuitable for livestock feed. So, the research efforts also focus on making this plant softer, like alfalfa, to make it suitable for animal consumption because Sesbania is rich in protein,” he said.

Wang, who has over 10 years of experience at the research centre, said the livestock feed in China often lacks protein content.

According to Wang, the Seed Industry Laboratory is also studying and developing new seed variants for Sesbania through the hybrid process to enable its cultivation in southern China, such as in Hainan and northern China, as both regions have different climates and requirements.

He also said they were seeking partnerships to develop the technology to produce the new variants and are in discussions with the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to establish a bank for Sesbania seeds from all over the world.

“We are also ready to collaborate with ASEAN countries, including Malaysia, because the Sesbania species that we are studying are more suitable for cultivation in ASEAN countries,” he added.

-- BERNAMA