The study investigated browse availability and utilisation within the agropastoral system being researched by the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) programme in central Nigeria. Previous research has shown that browse - that is, the foliage and fruit of trees and shrubs used as forage - is an important forage resource in the area. The study found that a wide range of woody species are eaten by pastoral cattle. Chemical analysis of samples of browse revealed marked differences in chemical composition between individual species as well as between browse and other feedstuffs. Following the chemical analysis, pastoralists in the two study areas ranked the different species according to their dietary importance to cattle. The rankings were in reasonable agreement and, to some extent, reflected the nutritive value of the plants.
Publication year:
1987
Interest groups:
This fairly technical paper will be of interest to researchers, extensionists and those working in rangeland management and with pastoralists
Pages:
44 p.
Publisher reference:
International Livestock Centre for Africa