Millet Based Cropping Systems with Forage Legumes for Improving Nutritive Values of Crop Residues in the Sahelian Zone

Abstract

The crop residues from sorghum and pearl millet represent an important potential feed resource. In 1981, 55.2 and 51.4 million tons of crop residues were produced from sorghum and pearl millet respectively (Kossila, 1985). Pearl millet is the most prevalent cereal in the Sahel and farmers usually leave millet stover in the field after grain harvest. Grazing livestock then walk through the fields and eat first the leaves and later the stalks. Farmers also use millet stalks as fuel, and for con­struction. During the long Sahelian dry season, cattle rely mos­tly on crop residues for their subsistence and in dry years the amount of crop residues left for grazing animals is very low. In this study, we examined the quality of pearl millet stover and the feed value of leguminous hay supplements intercropped with pearl millet