Present study was conducted at Central Research Station of BAIF Development Research Foundation, Urulikanchan, Pune during 2013 to 2015 with an objective to determining the nutritive values and keeping quality of legume blocks. Leaf meals were prepared from sun dried leaves and chaffed twigs of subabul (Leucaena&nbsp;leucocephala), desmanthus (Desmanthus vergatus), sesbania (Sesbania sesban) and lucerne (Medicago sativa). Five blocks were prepared by adding molasses, corn flour, mineral mixture and salt. Chemical composition such as dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), ash and silica content were determined according to standard analytical procedures. The chemical composition was more or less similar in fresh and stored legume blocks in all the recipes and did not vary much during storage. Further, no deterioration in colour, odour or texture was observed in storage, or any apparent contamination with mould. Among the five leguminous blocks, highest nutritive values in terms of CP, CF, EE, ash and silica were observed in sesbania legume block (22.17, 12.14, 3.52, 10.71 and 0.52%) followed by blocks of subabul (20.52, 10.61, 3.42, 10.72 and 0.81%) respectively. The cost of per kg production of leguminous block of subabul and sesbania was low as compared to lucerne blocks, which were Rs. 20, 21 and 29 correspondingly. All the goats offered legume blocks accepted them readily. All the blocks were offered to difeerent five goats for feeding and their acceptance and the intake was 100 per cent. &nbsp;Hence, the leguminous blocks prepared from sesbania and subabul leaf meal were selected as the best leguminous blocks as goat feed. 
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Leguminous blocks: Nutritional values and economics

<div>Background: Celosia argentea, commonly known as plumed cockscomb, is a herbaceous plant of tropical origin and has 19.78% crude protein and is equal to leguminous fodder. It is highly palatable by animals. The study was designed to find out the chemical composition of the plant at summer and monsoon season and also to conserve it as fodder block for feeding ruminants during feed shortage.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Fodder block was prepared by using paddy straw (60%), Celosia argentea plant (30%), 7.5% refined wheat flour, 2% mineral mixture and 1% salt. The fodder blocks were assessed for physical, chemical and IVDMD tests. Three treatments such as paddy straw and Desmanthus fodder (T1), paddy straw and Celosia argentea fodder (T2), paddy straw and Celosia argentea block (T3) were used for palatability trial in eighteen cross bred heifers. Trial was conducted for a period of one month. Daily feed intake (kg/day), initial and final body weight was measured. Data was analysed by using SPS software.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Significant variations (P&lt;0.01) were observed in the proximate composition of Celosia argentea fodder between monsoon and summer season. The prepared fodder blocks with Celosia argentea had bulk density of 70.15 kg/m3, relative hardness of 12.36 mm and durability of 89.22%. The chemical composition of fodder blocks (dry matter - 90.3%, crude protein - 10.28%, ether extract - 1.6%, crude fibre - 16.25%, total ash - 13.26%, nitrogen free extract - 58.35%, Ca - 1.05% and P - 0.53%) were found to lie in the normal range. The IVDMD of fodder block is 48.52%. Average daily dry matter intake of heifers fed with T3 was higher (P&lt;0.01) compared to heifers fed with T1 and T2. The body weight of heifers fed with all treatments did not change during trial period. Celosia argentea can be utilized as alternate to Desmanthus fodder and can be preserved as fodder block along with paddy straw for use during fodder deficit seasons.</div>

Feeding Celosia argentea as Fodder Block to Ruminants

<div>Background: Binders play on important role in providing compactness and hardness to the complete feed block (CFB). Hardness of the block is also important to increase the durability of the block. In this view, the present comprehensive study is being taken up to evaluate the effect of different binders on the physical characteristics of the complete feed blocks. 
 
Methods: The complete feed is formulated to contain 10.5% CP and 55% TDN based on ICAR-2013 requirements. Feed blocks were prepared with sorghum stover (Roughage to concentrate ratio 50:50) using different binders such as molasses (M), guar meal (GM) and condensed distillery soluble (CDS) at different levels @ 6%, 8% and 10%. The complete feed mixtures were densified into blocks in horizontal feed block-making machine at 1500 psi for a dwell time of one minute. The feed blocks were stored for 48 hr to dry and evaluated for the physical and drying characteristics. 
 
Result: The bulk density and durability was higher (P&lt;0.001) in M-8, M-10 and GM-10 feed blocks. The GM-8 blocks had higher bulk density (P&lt;0.001) but less durable (P&lt;0.001) than the other feed blocks. Durability and bulk density of GM-10 and M-10 blocks were comparable with M-8 feed blocks but the PCE of GM-10 and M-10 blocks was 11.61 and 10.75% higher than the M-8 blocks, respectively. CDS when included at 6, 8 or 10% as a binder, the blocks could not be prepared. Based on these results it was concluded that molasses at 8% is best for preparation of the CFBs.</div>

Evaluation of the Physical Characteristics of Complete Feed Blocks Containing Different Binders

<div>The use of cover crops is a way of sustainable agriculture in which nutrients are recycled and the use of inorganic fertilizer is reduced. &nbsp;Leguminous cover crops for instance are known to enrich the soil through the fixing of nitrogen in the form of nitrates in the soil for plant use. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of some leguminous cover crops on growth and yield of garden eggs. &nbsp;The study consisted of five treatments, namely Bare ground (control), fertilizer (NPK 15:15:15), Mucuna pruriens, Glycine max and Phaseolus lunatus laid in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates. Data collected were on vegetative growth and yield parameters. Results showed that plant height of garden eggs was highest in Phaseolus treated plots and this was followed by the Glycine max plots. Phaseolus treated plots had the highest yield in terms of the number of fruits harvested and weight of fruits harvested. &nbsp;</div>

<div>The Effect of Leguminous Cover Crops on Growth and Yield of Garden Eggs</div>

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance, biomass production and nutrient accumulation of three abundant leguminous weeds, namely Crotolaria micans Link., Aeschynomene indica L. and Calopogonium mucunoides Desv., found in Mizoram, India, to assess their potentiality as green manure crops. 
 
Methods: The field experiment was conducted using a randomized block design. After 90 days of sowing, the growth performance of the plants and biomass accumulation was assessed. Accumulation of nutrients was estimated by analyzing the nutrient content using standard methods and multiplying it with dry biomass.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The result revealed that Crotolaria micans showed higher growth and biomass accumulation. C. micans accumulates higher N, P, K, Zn, Cu and Fe contents in the shoot and root biomass while A. indica accumulates higher Ca in the root biomass. We conclude that Crotolaria micans was the most promising leguminous weed species in terms of growth performance, biomass production and nutrient accumulation and has better potential to be utilized as a green manure crop.&nbsp;

Assessment of Some Leguminous Weeds as Potential Green Manure Crops under Mizoram, North East India

Background: A doubly nested partially balanced incomplete block (DNPBIB) design is defined as an arrangement of v treatments each replicated r times in three systems of blocks if, each block of the first system contains m1 blocks of second system and each block of the second system contains m2 blocks of the third system. Each stage of DNPBIB design, treated independently, is a PBIB design.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Three component designs viz., (i) ignoring the first and second system of blocks, a PBIB design with b3 blocks each of size k3 (&lt; v) units with, &lambda;3i concurrences of any pair of treatments which are ith associates of each other, (ii) ignoring first and third system of blocks, another PBIB design with b2 blocks each of size k2(&lt; v) units with &lambda;3i concurrence of two treatments which are ith associates of each other and (iii) ignoring the second and third system of blocks, a third PBIB design with b1 block each of size k1 (&lt; v) units with, &lambda;1i concurrences of two treatments within first associate of each other, are obtained.&nbsp; 
 
Result: This study provides two new general methods of constructing DNPBIB designs, where the component designs are PBIB designs with two or three associate classes. Group divisible and rectangular association schemes have been used for developing such designs. Methods are illustrated with appropriate examples.&nbsp;

On Construction of Doubly Nested Partially Balanced Incomplete Block Designs

Study was conducted to formulate the paddy straw based complete feed blocks containing kinnow-mandarin waste (KMW) in a manual densification machine and to evaluate its effect on the nutrient intake and digestibility of goats. Block was formulated utilizing paddy straw, KMW, wheat flour, molasses, wheat bran, urea, mineral mixture, common salt and water. Bulk density of prepared blocks was 0.21 g/cm3 whereas durability was 17.36%. An in vivo feeding trial was conducted for 30 days duration along with a digestibility trial during last week of feeding trial. Twelve local adult male goats were randomly allotted as per randomized block design to two equal groups designated Control and Treatment. All the animals were kept on complete feed feeding regimen with either conventional concentrate mixture with paddy straw in 40:60 proportion or KMW-Paddy straw based feed block on ad libitum basis. Feed intake and nutrient digestibility was similar (P&gt;0.05) in experimental animals, irrespective of the dietary treatment. The cost of feed for treatment group was about 12 per cent lower over the cost of conventional complete feed. It may be concluded that KMW may be utilized as a part of paddy straw based complete feed without affecting nutrient intake and digestibility. However, the binding and durability of blocks achieved in the present study was not satisfactory and this formulation therefore is not recommended to be densified in a manual block making machine.

Formulation of kinnow mandarin (Citrus Nobilis Lour x Citrus Deliciosa Tenora) waste and paddy straw based complete feed blocks and its utilization by goats

<div style="text-align: justify;">The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil cover with a combination of tree leguminous on increasing grain yield, grain protein content, and maize protein yield. The experiment was conducted with 10 treatments: Leucaena leucocephala + Clitoria fairchildiana + urea (L+C+U); L. leucocephala + Acacia mangium + urea (L+A+U); Gliricidia sepium + C. fairchildiana + urea (G+C+U); G. sepium + A. mangium + urea (G+A+U); L. leucocephala + C. fairchildiana (L+C); L. leucocephala + A. mangium (L+A); G. sepium + C. fairchildiana (G+C); G. sepium + A. mangium (G+A); bare soil with urea (B+U); and a control with bare soil without mineral fertiliser. Differences between G+C+U and B+U, in the agronomic efficiencies, increase in N contents, increase in grain yield. To increase the protein yields in humid regions, leguminous are used to provide nutrients and improve the root environment rather than interacting antagonistically with the crops.</div>

How leguminous biomass can increase yield and quality of maize grain in tropical agrosystems

<div>Background: Supplementation of urea molasses mineral block (UMMB) showed promising results in improving the nutrient utilization and the productivity of animals. This offers several advantages such as easy transport, storage and handling and reduced risks of poisoning as compared with other approaches, such as giving a small amount of urea in drinking water, sprinkling of urea solution on fibrous feeds before feeding, or urea-ammonization of crop residues. These advantages of solid multi-nutrient blocks (SMB) opened up new vista to enhance productivity in terms of increased milk and meat production and higher reproductive efficiency in ruminant animal species. Keeping the above facts in view, this study was undertaken to determine the effect of feeding solid multinutrient blocks on feed intake, nutrient utilization and haemato-biochemical profile of crossbred calves 
 
Methods: In this study twenty four crossbred male calves of about 14-17 months of age were divided into four groups of six animals in each group. All animals were supplied wheat straw ad lib. In addition, animals in all groups were fed a concentrate mixture to meet out their nutrient requirement. Additionally, 30 % of concentrate mixture (on CP basis) was replaced by solid multi-nutrient blocks (SMB-I), SMB-II and SMB-III in groups T1, T2 and T3, respectively. After 60 days of feeding a metabolism trial of 6 days was conducted to assess the nutrient utilization of animals. Blood samples were collected at 0, 75, 150 day of experimental feeding to determine hematological parameters, enzymes, biochemical parameters and serum mineral concentration. 
 
Result: The intake and digestibility of DM, OM, EE, NDF and ADF were comparable among 4 groups. The CP intake was significantly higher in SMB supplemented groups as compared to control but there was no significant difference in CP digestibility among 4 groups. All the animals in four groups were on positive nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance. Haematobiochemical parameters like Hb, PCV, glucose, total protein, globulin, A:G, SGOT and SGPT showed non-significant differences (p&gt;0.05) among the groups, however, periodical serum concentrations of albumin, urea and creatinine was higher in crossbred calves at 75 and 150 days of experiment in comparison to 0 day. On basis of present results, it may be concluded that supplementation of SMB can replace 30% crude protein of concentrate mixture without any adverse effect on feed intake, digestibility, nutrient utilization and blood biochemical profile of crossbred calves.</div>

Effect of Feeding Solid Multi-Nutrient Blocks on Feed Intake, Nutrient Utilization and Haemato-Biochemical Profile of Crossbred Calves

Background: Marginal land is dry land which has limited nutrient content so it has relatively low productivity. The development of marginal land use can be optimized with an ecosystem approach strategy through improving soil fertility. Planting leguminous plant species that can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere can increase soil fertility.

Methods: This research was conducted to determine the ability of plants (A = Corn; B = Peanuts; C = Green Beans; D = Soybeans) to increase soil fertility and plant productivity. The experiment was designed in a randomized block design consisting of four treatments, each treatment was repeated four times. Soil fertility analysis was carried out before planting (pH, Carbon (%), Nitogen (%) and C/N ) and after planting (pH, Carbon (%), Nitogen (%) and C/N). Productivity (straw (kg/ha), seeds (kg/ha) and effective nodules.

Results: The experimental results showed that the planting of legumes had a significant effect on increasing soil fertility and forage productivity, nodulation but lower legume seed production compared to maize