The potential of some sub-humid zone browse species as feed for ruminants

The overall objective of this study was to determine the most utilized browse species in the sub-humid zone in Burkina Faso, and to evaluate their potential as fodder for ruminants. The behaviour of sheep, goats and cattle was recorded on natural pasture using a direct observation method and farmers were interviewed concerning use of browse species. The phenological and chemical variations over the year were estimated through observations and collection of foliage samples every second week. The foliage biomass was evaluated using complete cutting and weighing. The nutritive value and the effect of feeding these foliages on growth performance were assessed in sheep using a completely randomised design. The browsing activity was about 25% of the total grazing time for all the animal species during the dry season. During the cool season the time spent browsing by goats (17%) was significantly higher than for sheep (7%) and cattle (5%). The plant species with the highest frequency of consumption by animals and most cited as fodder trees by farmers were Acacia dudgeoni Craib. ex Holl., Ficus gnaphalocarpa (Miq.) A. Rich, Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn., Faidherbia albida A. Chevalier, Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers., Khaya senegalensis (Desv.) A. Juss. and Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. The foliage biomass per ha of the last three species differed significantly (0.3, 0.6 and 1.3 t dry matter (dm), respectively). The dm intake and apparent digestibility of dm for A. africana were the highest, 571 g/day and 582 g/kg, respectively. Significant relationships were found between the foliage biomass and the circumference of the crown for A. africana (R2=82%) and P. erinaceus (R2=81%). The growth rate was around 60 g/day when feeding a diet including A. africana and P. erinaceus, higher than with the diet with K. senegalensis (48 g/day). These browse species constitute an important source of nitrogen for domestic ruminants in sub-humid West Africa and should to be promoted in the agrosilvopastoral systems as a dry season fodder reserve and to avoid the risk of extinction

Livestock Keepers’ Attitudes: Keystone of Effective Community-Based Breeding Programs

Livestock keepers in southwestern Burkina Faso hold the local Lobi taurine breed, local Zebu cattle, and their crosses. Some communities in the region have begun to implement community-based cattle breeding programs (CBBPs), which involve animal tagging and recording and, potentially, also bull sharing. Based on the hypothesis that the participation of livestock keepers in CBBPs depends on their attitudes towards these programs, we used questionnaires to survey the attitudes of 125 farmers towards cattle breeding strategies and tools. Results were analyzed using principal component analysis. Farmers showed a highly positive attitude towards maintaining the features of their preferred cattle breed, but their attitudes varied substantially towards crossbreeding for breed improvement. Farmers generally agreed that performance was more important than animal appearance, and most of them were willing to cooperate with breeders’ associations but were skeptical about sharing their bulls with other farmers. The majority was reluctant to record performance data, which may be due to a capacity deficit and their confidence in being able to select the best animals based purely on phenotype. Our analysis suggests that breeders’ associations, as a key component of CBBPs, should lay down clear rules and obligations for their members from the outset. Timely consideration of farmers’ attitudes towards different breeding tools may improve their uptake and guarantee the sustainability of CBBPs

Local ancestry to identify selection in response to trypanosome infection in Baoulé x Zebu crossbred cattle in Burkina Faso

The genomes of crossbred (admixed) individuals are a mosaic of ancestral haplotypes formed by recombination in each generation. The proportion of these ancestral haplotypes in certain genomic regions can be responsible for either susceptibility or tolerance against pathogens, and for performances in production traits. Using a medium-density genomic marker panel from the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip, we estimated individual admixture proportions for Baoulé x Zebu crossbred cattle in Burkina Faso, which were tested for trypanosome infection by direct ELISA from blood samples. Furthermore, we calculated local ancestry deviation from average for each SNP across 29 autosomes to identify potential regions under selection in the trypanotolerant Baoulé cattle and their crossbreds. We identified significant deviation from the local average ancestry (above 5 and 10% genome-wide thresholds) on chromosomes 8 and 19 in the positive animals, while the negative ones showed higher deviation on chromosomes 6, 19, 21, and 22. Some candidate genes on chromosome 6 (PDGFRA) and chromosome 19 (CDC6) have been found associated to trypanotolerance in West African taurines. Screening for FST outliers in trypanosome positive/negative animals we detected seven variants putatively under selection. Finally, we identified a minimum set of highly ancestry informative markers for routine admixture testing. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of trypanotolerance in Baoulé cattle and their crossbreeds. Furthermore, we provide a small informative marker set to monitor admixture in this valuable indigenous breed. As such, our results are important for conserving the genetic uniqueness and trypanotolerance of Baoulé cattle, as well as for the improvement of Baoulé and Zebu crossbreds in specific community-based breeding programs

Risques climatiques et agriculture en Afrique de l’Ouest

Le futur de l’Afrique de l’Ouest dépend de la capacité du secteur de l’agriculture à s’adapter pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire dans un contexte de changement climatique et de croissance démographique. Pour faciliter cette adaptation, la recherche a déployé d’importants efforts pour améliorer les connaissances sur les mécanismes climatiques et leurs impacts sur les systèmes agropastoraux. Or, ces avancées issues de la recherche ne sont que rarement prises en compte dans la planification et la prise de décision. Partant de ce constat, un projet de recherche « Agriculture et gestion des risques climatiques : outils et recherches en Afrique », soutenu par le ministère français des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international est mené entre 2016 et 2018 dans plusieurs pays d’Afrique de l’Ouest. Il a pour objectif d’élaborer des outils efficaces de gestion du risque climatique pour les agriculteurs, en co-construisant avec des réseaux de chercheurs et d’acteurs directement impliqués dans l’accompagnement de l’agriculture des stratégies innovantes basées sur les résultats de la recherche. Cet ouvrage restitue les principales avancées de cette recherche-action sur trois thématiques prioritaires : les services climatiques pour l’agriculture, la gestion des ressources en eau et l’intensification écologique. Il permet aux acteurs du secteur agricole (organisations paysannes, filières, secteur privé agricole, banques de développement agricole, fournisseurs d’intrants, services agricoles et de météorologie) de s’approprier de nouvelles connaissances et de nouveaux outils pour une meilleure prise en compte des risques climatiques dans la gestion des systèmes de production