Eight white-flowered pea (Pisum sativum) and two white-flowered field bean (Vicia faba) cultivars grown organically were analysed for proximate composition and amino acid content. In vivo ileal amino acid digestibilities and faecal energy digestibility were predicted from the in vitro enzymatic digestibility of nitrogen and organic matter, respectively. The crude protein (CP) content of the pea and field bean cultivars ranged from 244 to 279 and from 320 to 347 g/kg dry matter (DM), respectively. The concentrations of several essential amino acids in protein decreased as the CP content increased. In peas, predicted in vivo digestibilities did not correlate with chemical composition, and in field beans were lower than in peas. A digestibility trial was carried out on six cannulated barrows according to a 6 ´ 5 cyclic change-over design to determine the faecal and ileal nutrient digestibilities of organically grown leafed peas (cv. Sohvi, 199 g CP/kg DM), semileafless peas (cv. Karita, 240 g CP/kg DM), field beans (cv. Kontu, 320 g CP/kg DM), narrow-leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius cv. Pershatsvet, 220 g CP/kg DM), and conventional warm- and cold-pressed rapeseed cakes (360 and 313 g CP/kg DM, respectively). The net energy contents of the leafed and semileafed peas, field beans, lupins, and cold- and warm-pressed rape seed cakes were 10.8, 11.2, 9.8, 9.7, 9.4 and 12.3 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The apparent ileal digestibilities of lysine and threonine were similar, but the digestibility of methionine was poor in all legume seeds. Cystine digestibility was highest in lupins and lowest in field beans. With the exception of phenylalanine, there was no difference in apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities between rapeseed cakes.;
Composition, ileal amino acid digestibility and nutritive value of organically grown legume seeds and conventional rapeseed cakes for pigs