Nutritional potential of native shrub species for cattle feeding in northeastern Peru

In Peru, natural grasses and shrubs are the primary sources of cattle feed; however, the nutritional quality of shrub species used as forage is generally still being determined. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the main native shrub species and the nutritional potential of each species for cattle feeding in Amazonas, Peru. The shrubs were selected through surveys of cattle farmers in the region, and each species' bromatological characteristics were determined. In fact, twenty-one species from 14 families were identified as the main shrubs used for cattle feed. Among them, the Asteraceae family reported the highest number of species (6). The percentage of total protein was higher than 18% in 10 plant species, while the percentage of digestibility exceeded 60% in 19 species. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first two dimensions explained 60.7% of the total variability, with digestibility, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and protein being the most influential factors. In addition, cluster analysis grouped the species into four groups differentiated by their nutritional characteristics, providing a solid basis for selecting forage species according to their qualities. Myriocarpa stipitata (Urticaceae) presented the highest percentages of total protein (30.3%) and digestibility (89.2%), being the shrub species with the greatest potential for cattle feeding in northeastern Peru.