The Feeding Value of Sweet Potato Tubers

Abstract

Roots have long assumed an important place in the winter dietaries of stock in Europe, but their usefulness in East Africa is limited by the climatic zones in which they can be grown. Tubers, such as cassava, canna, and sweet potatoes, are more adaptable than roots to local environmental conditions, particularly at lower altitudes, and it is of importance to determine their usefulness for livestock. Studies have already been made of the composition, digestibility and feeding values of the two former varieties of tubers and this article completes the story by adding the data concerning fresh sweet potatoes. The material employed was purchased from African producers and had an average moisture content of 41 per cent. The dry matter composition is compared in Table I with the corresponding data for fresh canna and cassava tubers.