Chemical Composition of Foliage and Seed Dormancy in Desmanthus virgatus (L.)Willd for Forage use in Dry Tropical Regions of Mexico

Legumes are rich in protein and secondary metabolites and also develop root nodules, all of which contribute to the advancement of more sustainable animal production systems.The nutritive value and seed dormancy of Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd., a native legume with forage potential, were evaluated in two ecotypes, Copalillo and Pungarabato, from dry tropical zones in Mexico.Foliage and seed samples from two ecotypes of Desmanthus virgatus (L.) Willd.were collected in Mexico during autumn-winter 2022 and 2023, and analyzed for dry matter, ash (CEN), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) following AOAC methods.Germination tests evaluated the effects of three storage periods, 270, 300, and 350 days, on dormancy.The Pungarabato ecotype had higher CP and EE content (22.25 and 11.94%, respectively) than the Copalillo ecotype (15.95% and 10.20%, respectively), suggesting a superior nutritional value of the Pungarabato ecotype.No significant differences (P0.05) in CEN, NDF, ADF, and crude fiber were detected between the ecotypes.Similar secondary compounds between ecotypes identified by highperformance liquid chromatography were gallic acid, quercetin rhamnoside, kaempferol rhamnoside, quercetin glucoside, and kaempferol glucoside.Both ecotypes had moderate germination rates, with higher germination rates after 300 storage days (40.3% for Copalillo and 34.7% for Pungarabato).The findings suggest that D. virgatus could be a viable alternative to improve forage availability in dry seasons and contribute to the sustainability of livestock production systems in the dry tropics.These results contribute to the knowledge of adaptable forages to face seasonality in arid and tropical regions.