Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania

Poor feed utilisation and seasonal feed availability are considered contributory factors leading to less-than-optimal livestock productivity on smallholder farms in Babati, Tanzania. Cereal and legume crop residues, such as dry or green maize stover and bean haulms, are commonly fed to livestock but...

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Main Authors: Lukuyu, Ben A., Sikumba, Gregory N., Kihara, Job Maguta, Bekunda, Mateete A.
Format: Poster
Language:Inglés
Published: International Livestock Research Institute 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77019
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author Lukuyu, Ben A.
Sikumba, Gregory N.
Kihara, Job Maguta
Bekunda, Mateete A.
author_browse Bekunda, Mateete A.
Kihara, Job Maguta
Lukuyu, Ben A.
Sikumba, Gregory N.
author_facet Lukuyu, Ben A.
Sikumba, Gregory N.
Kihara, Job Maguta
Bekunda, Mateete A.
author_sort Lukuyu, Ben A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Poor feed utilisation and seasonal feed availability are considered contributory factors leading to less-than-optimal livestock productivity on smallholder farms in Babati, Tanzania. Cereal and legume crop residues, such as dry or green maize stover and bean haulms, are commonly fed to livestock but are also of low quality and they are poorly used by farmers. Improving the efficiency with which the crop residues can be used as animal feed appears the first step towards solving critical feed shortage. Studies on maize crop residue uses and trade-offs on smallholder crop-livestock farmers have proven on an economic perspective that it is logical to prioritise its use for feed over soil fertility management. A study was conducted to assess availability of types, quantity and quality of crop residues and other feed resources for livestock on farms. The study aimed to understand how cereal and legume crop residues are harvested, stored, processed and used in different farms. It also aimed to identity gaps in managing crop residues in intensified systems and factors that may affect adoption. Post-harvest forage processing technologies such as feed choppers offer potential to enhance use of crop residues for livestock feeding. This not only reduces feed wastage but also enhances feed intake and quality. It also has potential to improve quantity and quality of manure. Following the study a feed chopping technology to enhance utilisation was introduced to farmers. The findings showed that the average household tropical livestock unit (TLU) is 3.8 (se = 0.15). Crop residues are the major contributor to livestock diet in the dry season. The most dominant cereal crop residues are maize stover (57%) and rice straw (20%) while the most common legumes straws are pigeon pea (4%); bean (12%), groundnut (5%) and cowpea (2%) haulms. On average the maize stover yield on farms is 9.3 t ha-1 (se = 0.28). There is a lot of feed waste on farms due to chopping by using a machete. Yield of maize stover from a hectare of land can sustain one TLU of livestock for 247 days.
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spelling CGSpace770192025-11-04T17:37:36Z Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania Lukuyu, Ben A. Sikumba, Gregory N. Kihara, Job Maguta Bekunda, Mateete A. animal feeding crops intensification Poor feed utilisation and seasonal feed availability are considered contributory factors leading to less-than-optimal livestock productivity on smallholder farms in Babati, Tanzania. Cereal and legume crop residues, such as dry or green maize stover and bean haulms, are commonly fed to livestock but are also of low quality and they are poorly used by farmers. Improving the efficiency with which the crop residues can be used as animal feed appears the first step towards solving critical feed shortage. Studies on maize crop residue uses and trade-offs on smallholder crop-livestock farmers have proven on an economic perspective that it is logical to prioritise its use for feed over soil fertility management. A study was conducted to assess availability of types, quantity and quality of crop residues and other feed resources for livestock on farms. The study aimed to understand how cereal and legume crop residues are harvested, stored, processed and used in different farms. It also aimed to identity gaps in managing crop residues in intensified systems and factors that may affect adoption. Post-harvest forage processing technologies such as feed choppers offer potential to enhance use of crop residues for livestock feeding. This not only reduces feed wastage but also enhances feed intake and quality. It also has potential to improve quantity and quality of manure. Following the study a feed chopping technology to enhance utilisation was introduced to farmers. The findings showed that the average household tropical livestock unit (TLU) is 3.8 (se = 0.15). Crop residues are the major contributor to livestock diet in the dry season. The most dominant cereal crop residues are maize stover (57%) and rice straw (20%) while the most common legumes straws are pigeon pea (4%); bean (12%), groundnut (5%) and cowpea (2%) haulms. On average the maize stover yield on farms is 9.3 t ha-1 (se = 0.28). There is a lot of feed waste on farms due to chopping by using a machete. Yield of maize stover from a hectare of land can sustain one TLU of livestock for 247 days. 2016-09-19 2016-09-09T13:31:37Z 2016-09-09T13:31:37Z Poster https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77019 en Open Access application/pdf International Livestock Research Institute Lukuyu, B., Sikumba, G., Kihara, J. and Bekunda, M. 2016. Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania. Poster prepared for the Tropentag 2016 Conference on Solidarity in a Competing World—Fair Use of Resources, Vienna, Austria, 19–21 September 2016. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.
spellingShingle animal feeding
crops
intensification
Lukuyu, Ben A.
Sikumba, Gregory N.
Kihara, Job Maguta
Bekunda, Mateete A.
Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title_full Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title_fullStr Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title_full_unstemmed Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title_short Intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in Tanzania
title_sort intensification of smallholder livestock production through utilisation of crop residues for livestock feed in tanzania
topic animal feeding
crops
intensification
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/77019
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