Evaluation of improved Brachiaria grasses in low rainfall and aluminium toxicity prone areas of Rwanda.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.Abstract available in the print copy

Ecological benefits of brachiaria grasses in integrated crop-livestock production systems in Rwanda.

Doctor of Philosophy in Animal and poultry science.A study was conducted with the broad objective to evaluate ecological benefits of Brachiaria grasses in integrated crop-stall-fed livestock production systems in humid and semi-arid region of Rwanda. The specific objectives of the study were: (1) To identify factors that determine household feed resource supply and willingness to plant improved fodder in humid and semi-arid regions of Rwanda; (2) To determine nutritive values of available feed resources used by smallholder farmers in Rwanda; (3) To determine biomass and nutrient productivity as well as cutting management of promising Brachiaria genotypes for semi-arid ecologies in Rwanda (4) To determine nutritional value of Brachiaria species, on stall-fed replacement dairy heifers with or without concentrate supplements; (5) To examine the biophysical and physiological basis that make Brachiaria grass a more palatable and nutritious forage with impact on lactation in dairy cows relative to Napier grass. A structured questionnaire was administered to 204 households of semi-arid and humid environments and used to determine major livelihood options and characterise integrated crop-livestock production systems. Farming was the major livelihood strategy among households in semi-arid and humid areas. The diversity of livestock species including, dairy cattle among households were more in semi-arid than in humid environments. Milk yield was higher in Jersey than in other dairy cows under smallholder farm prevailing conditions. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, level of education and experience in livestock rearing of household head significantly influenced adoption of planted forages in smallholder farms in both areas. Farmers in semi-arid area were twice more likely to establish improved fodder species in farmland than those from humid areas. Napier grass and a variety of crop residues were the major feed resources in both the rainy and dry seasons in both areas. Feed resource inventorying depicted a wide (n=24) species diversity from both on-farm and off-farm source five of which were unique to semi-arid areas. Chemical composition, ii contents of metabolisable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFd) and rumen fermentation characteristics partitioning factor (PF) were highly variable, depicting variability in their efficiencies of utilisation in microbial functions and post-ruminal nutrient supply for maintenance and production. Brachiaria genotype and cutting management study involved an evaluation of five cultivars (cv.) of Brachiaria brizantha, one cultivar of B. humidicola, two cultivars of Brachiaria hybrid and one cultivar of Brachiaria decumbens against Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in an on-farm trial in a completely randomised block design (RCBD) with four replicates. Forage samples were collected at 60, 90 and 120 days after planting (DAP). Samples of each cultivar and age of cutting were analysed for concentration of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), minerals, in vitro apparent degradable dry matter (ivADDM), metabolisable energy (ME) and in vitro gas production (GP) kinetics. The DM, CP, OM, ivADDM and digestible OM increased from 60 to 90 DAP and declined thereafter. The NDF contents increased while CP contents decreased consistently with increase in age. Macro and micro-nutrient concentrations were also higher at 90 DAP. The ME differed (P<0.05) among grasses and between DAP. The GP of grasses cut at 90 DAP was higher than the other two DAP. The highest yield cultivars were Basilisk, Marandú and Piatá. The optimum age of cutting was species specific, but overall cutting at 90 DAP was recommended. In a study on changes in growth performance of crossbred dairy heifers under cut-and-carry feeding system, sixteen crossbred (Ankole × Jersey) heifers (Average body weight 203±35 kg) were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments. Brachiaria hybrid cultivar Mulato II with 2 kg/day of commercial concentrates (MCC) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) with the same supplement (NCC) were fed to heifers for 12 weeks. Feeds, mineral lick and water were provided ad libitum. Absolute daily dry matter intake (g DM/day) and relative intake (g/kg of metabolic body weight - BW0.75) were higher in heifers fed on MCC than in heifers fed on NCC (P<0.001). Feed conversion ratio was lower (P<0.001) in MCC than NCC diets. Final body weight (FBW) and body weight gain (BWG) did not differ between the two groups of heifers (P>0.05). Average daily weight gain (ADWG), also not differed significantly (P>0.05). To determine biophysical factors affecting quality of Brachiaria sp. and impact on performance in crossbred dairy cattle, a feeding trial was conducted using 40 lactating crossbred (Ankole × Holstein Friesian) in second parity and in 10–15 days in milk in collaboration with 40 farm households. Experimental diets were Brachiaria brizantha (cv. Piatá) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum–used as control) as sole or mixed forage with Desmodium distortum (70:30 w/w fresh basis). Chemical analysis showed that Napier was low in DM, OM, and CP, but higher in NDF and ADF than the test Brachiaria (P<0.001). The composition varied with duration of the experiments (P<0.05) but not across farms (P>0.05). Voluntary intake did not differ across diets (P>0.05) but was consistently higher in Piatá-based than in the Napier-based diets. Average milk production with higher in cows fed on the test Brachiaria-based than in the Napier-based diets (P<0.001). Cows fed grass-legume mixes recorded higher milk than sole grass diets. Digesta flows and degradation rates were also rapid in grass-forage than in sole grass diets (P<0.001). The most promising cultivars identified from this study were cv. Basilisk, cv. Marandú and cv. Piatá, because of its nutritional characteristics as well as nutrient yields which were higher and more comparable with Napier grass than other grass cultivars. The feeding trial with replacement dairy heifer proved that depriving these animals the nutritional advantage associated with selectivity in forages did not compromise the nutritional value cv. Mulato II; hence, this cultivar can effectively be used as quality fodder for cut-andcarry dairy system. Digestive physiology of Piatá-based diet provided a strong, but indicative evidence of the differences in palatability, voluntary intake and impact on lactation between cv. Piatá and Napier grass. These differences might have associated with physical effectiveness of NDF

Factors Influencing Current and Future Prospects for Intensive Dairy Production in Rwanda

Intensive mixed crop-dairy systems dominate smallholder agriculture in Rwanda. However, factors that influence the intensification and crop-dairy integration in Rwanda have not been examined. The objective of this study was to determine factors that are influencing the current and future prospects for intensification and mixed crop-dairy production systems in Rwanda

Agronomic and Nutritional Characteristics of Selected \u3cem\u3eBrachiaria\u3c/em\u3e Hybrids and Varieties Harvested at Three Stages of Growth

Shortage of quality feed is a persistent livestock productivity constraint and it is accentuated by climate variability and increased unpredictability of precipitation in many areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Improved Brachiaria genotypes are some of the interventions that can improve feed security and contribute to the global climate change mitigation efforts

Utilisation of Conserved Forage to Improve Livestock Production on Smallholder Farms in Asia and Africa

Ruminant livestock are essential to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in many developing countries. Livestock production on these farms is characterised by low milk production, low live weight gain and poor reproductive performance because of poor nutrition. Access to high quality forage has been identified as key to improving livestock health and productivity. Conservation of surplus forage as hay or silage provides the opportunity to ensure livestock have access to high quality forage year-round. This paper reports on forage conservation in select countries in Asia and Africa

Seasonal variation of livestock feed resources in semi-arid and humid environments of Rwanda

In most of sub-Saharan African countries, including Rwanda, the predominant agricultural production is from a mixed-crop-livestock farming system, because of small size land holding. The objective of this study was to assess the seasonal availability of livestock feed resources in the semi-arid and humid environments of Rwanda. Structured questionnaire was designed and administered to 102 households from each environment (totalling 204) practising mixed-crop-livestock farming system. Humid environment had more other activities than farming compared with the semi-arid. The semi-arid area had more households with dairy cows than humid environment. Household heads above 40 years and uneducated were more likely to establish fodder species for livestock. Farmers in humid environments were more likely to apply fertiliser on forages as one of the management practices than in the semi-arid areas. Household heads with above 20 years of experience in livestock rearing and uneducated household heads were also more likely to apply fertiliser on forages. Farmers in the semi-arid environments were two times more likely to establish forages in farmland than in humid environments. Various feed resources were identified in both environments. However, Napier grass was the most frequent feed resource across all season in both areas. Its availability differed (p < 0.01) between the two environments during the rainy season and during the dry season (p < 0.05) where the humid environments had the highest quantity compared with the semi-arid environments. In addition, various crop residues were also used in both areas during the rainy and dry seasons. This suggests that feed availability is based on seasonal crop harvesting, which can lead to feed shortage in a time of crop failure. Also, high use of crop residues can compromise livestock productivity, owing to low quality, suggesting the necessity to characterise the available feed resources in smallholder farms of the semi-arid and humid environments for better choice of feed