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Fergus L. Sinclair - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • The basis of indigenous knowledge of tree Fodder quality and its implications for improving the use of tree Fodder in developing countries.
    Animal Feed Science and Technology, 1999
    Co-Authors: P.j. Thorne, B. Thapa, D.h. Walker, D.b. Subba, C.d. Wood, Fergus L. Sinclair
    Abstract:

    Many interventions generated by research with the aim of improving the nutritional status of livestock in developing countries have failed to realize their apparent potential when implemented on farms. It is now widely accepted that this is because farmers try to meet a wide range of objectives in feeding their animals. Their decision making can be supported by a sophisticated, indigenous knowledge. When researcher-developed technologies fail to account for this, they may be deemed unacceptable by the farmer. This paper explores one example of an indigenous knowledge system that relates to the quality of tree Fodder used by farmers in Nepal. Our results suggest that the knowledge of tree Fodder quality possessed by the farmers is quite consistent with the level of information that may be generated from the laboratory analyses that are commonly used by nutritional researchers for the same purpose. Of the two distinct indigenous knowledge systems from Nepal used, one (obanopan) appeared to relate to digestibility of tree Fodder (as predicted by an in vitro test) and the other (posilopan) that was perceived as an indicator of general nutritional quality may relate to the ability of a tree Fodder to promote the supply of protein at the duodenum. However, the relationship between obanopan and in vitro digestibility indicated that Nepalese farmers, in preferring to use obano Fodder, also preferred less digestible Fodder due to its ability to fill animals in times of feed shortage. This observation ‐ and the fact that recommendations derived

  • Indigenous knowledge of the feeding value of tree Fodder
    Animal Feed Science and Technology, 1997
    Co-Authors: B. Thapa, D.h. Walker, Fergus L. Sinclair
    Abstract:

    Abstract Tree Fodder plays a central role in the farming systems of the mid-hills of Nepal. With declining forest resources, farmers are increasingly relying on establishing on-farm tree Fodder resources. An inventory of Fodder species grown and a detailed investigation of farmers' knowledge of the comparative Fodder quality of different species revealed a complex set of criteria for comparing the 90 species cultivated. Fodder quality was determined by: the ability of Fodder to satisfy appetite; the effects of Fodder on milk and ghee (butter fat content) production including the effects of Fodder on milk odour; the ability of Fodder to improve animal growth rate (body weight gain); the effects of Fodder on animal health; the comparative preference of different livestock for different Fodder; and the palatability of Fodder. A number of attributes were known to influence Fodder quality. These were: leaf texture; leaf maturity; leaf bitterness; Fodder toxicity; season; and the management regimes applied to the Fodder tree.

Musa Abubakar - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • improving the production and utilization of cowpea as food and Fodder
    Field Crops Research, 2003
    Co-Authors: B B Singh, H A Ajeigbe, Shirley A Tarawali, S Fernandezrivera, Musa Abubakar
    Abstract:

    Abstract Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important food legume and an integral part of traditional cropping systems in the semi-arid regions of the tropics. The estimated worldwide area under cowpea is about 14 million ha of which West Africa alone accounts for about 9.3 million ha with annual production of about 2.9 Mt. Cowpea grains are consumed as food and the haulms are fed to livestock as a nutritious Fodder. Farmers often grow a short-duration spreading variety for grain and a long-duration spreading variety for Fodder, but the grain and Fodder yields are poor due to low yield potential of the spreading varieties and also due to early cessation of rains. Therefore, IITA in collaboration with ILRI has initiated a systematic programme to develop medium-maturing, semi-erect, dual-purpose varieties with higher grain and Fodder yields and with enhanced Fodder quality. By crossing the late, traditional spreading varieties with improved early, semi-erect varieties, a semi-erect group of medium-maturing, dual-purpose varieties has been developed which yield over 1.5 t ha −1 grain and 2.5 t ha −1 haulms. Despite the high grain and Fodder yields, the haulms of improved dual-purpose varieties have similar crude protein content (17–18%) and dry matter digestibility (64–71%) compared to the local varieties. Controlled sheep feeding experiments have shown an average live weight gain of about 80 g per animal per day with 200–400 g per day of cowpea haulms as a supplement to a basal diet of sorghum stover. This was 100% higher than the average live weight gain of animals fed sorghum Fodder alone. These results indicate that improved dual-purpose varieties can play an important role in enhancing crop–livestock integration in West Africa.

A A Khan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Improving the production and utilization of sorghum and pearl millet as livestock feed: Progress towards dual-purpose genotypes
    Field Crops Research, 2003
    Co-Authors: Michael Blummel, C.t. Hash, E Zerbini, F Bidinger, B V S Reddy, A A Khan
    Abstract:

    The overall objective of this work was to investigate variation in grain yield (GY), stover yield (SY), Fodder quality of stover and their association in sorghum and pearl millet. These relationships were investigated in India in 12 genotypes of sorghum and six genotypes of pearl millet grown under high fertilizer (HF) and low fertilizer (LF) application. Fodder quality of stover was assessed by digestibility and intake measurements in bulls. In sorghum, highly significant genotype-dependent variation was found for GY, SY and Fodder value of stover regardless of level of fertilizer application. GY and Fodder quality of stover were not inversely related and the genotype with the highest GY, for example, had also the best Fodder quality in the stover. High GY and high Fodder quality in sorghum stover seem to be compatible traits. In pearl millet, genotypic variation in GY and SY and quality was expressed under HF but not under LF application. No consistent significant genotypic differences were found for Fodder quality measurements in pearl millet except for cell wall digestibility. Digestible organic matter intake (DOMI) when bulls were fed to appetite was considered the crucial determinant of stover quality in sorghum and pearl millet. Live weight changes in bulls estimated by DOMI varied genotype-dependently from -140 to +100 g per day in 300 kg bulls. However, this paper argues that genotypes promoting high DOMI are only suitable for farmers with sufficient amounts of stover to allow the feeding of animals to appetite. Farmers with restricted amounts of stover are better served by genotypes that promote high digestibility under restricted feed intake. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

B B Singh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • improving the production and utilization of cowpea as food and Fodder
    Field Crops Research, 2003
    Co-Authors: B B Singh, H A Ajeigbe, Shirley A Tarawali, S Fernandezrivera, Musa Abubakar
    Abstract:

    Abstract Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an important food legume and an integral part of traditional cropping systems in the semi-arid regions of the tropics. The estimated worldwide area under cowpea is about 14 million ha of which West Africa alone accounts for about 9.3 million ha with annual production of about 2.9 Mt. Cowpea grains are consumed as food and the haulms are fed to livestock as a nutritious Fodder. Farmers often grow a short-duration spreading variety for grain and a long-duration spreading variety for Fodder, but the grain and Fodder yields are poor due to low yield potential of the spreading varieties and also due to early cessation of rains. Therefore, IITA in collaboration with ILRI has initiated a systematic programme to develop medium-maturing, semi-erect, dual-purpose varieties with higher grain and Fodder yields and with enhanced Fodder quality. By crossing the late, traditional spreading varieties with improved early, semi-erect varieties, a semi-erect group of medium-maturing, dual-purpose varieties has been developed which yield over 1.5 t ha −1 grain and 2.5 t ha −1 haulms. Despite the high grain and Fodder yields, the haulms of improved dual-purpose varieties have similar crude protein content (17–18%) and dry matter digestibility (64–71%) compared to the local varieties. Controlled sheep feeding experiments have shown an average live weight gain of about 80 g per animal per day with 200–400 g per day of cowpea haulms as a supplement to a basal diet of sorghum stover. This was 100% higher than the average live weight gain of animals fed sorghum Fodder alone. These results indicate that improved dual-purpose varieties can play an important role in enhancing crop–livestock integration in West Africa.

P. K. Ghosh - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Growth, yield, competition and economics of groundnut/cereal Fodder intercropping systems in the semi-arid tropics of India
    Field Crops Research, 2004
    Co-Authors: P. K. Ghosh
    Abstract:

    Intercropping legumes with non-legume crops during the rainy season (wet season) is a common practice in the semi-arid tropics of India. Of late, the concept of intercropping has also been utilized in irrigated (dry season) situations. In a 2-year field study during the dry season (February-May), we assessed yield, competition and economics in a groundnut/cereal Fodder intercropping system compared with monocropped groundnut. Maize (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) were grown for Fodder. One cutting for all and two cuttings (first at 50 days after sowing and second at 95 days after sowing) for sorghum and pearl millet were made. In intercrops one row of cereal Fodder was sown between every three rows of groundnut (1:3). The green Fodder yields and pod yield of groundnut were lower in intercropped than in monoculture plots. The highest green Fodder yield in intercrops was recorded in pearl millet with two cuts (16.5 t ha -1) followed by pearl millet with one cut (11.8 t ha-1) and sorghum with two cuts (10.7 t ha-1). In intercrops the growth and yield of groundnut were affected by cereal Fodder and intensity of cutting. A significant (*P