The State of Food and Agriculture

In mixed crop-livestock farming systems, smallholder farmers face the challenge of insufficient dry season livestock feed whilst crop production is mainly constrained by poor soil fertility and erratic rains. Conservation agriculture (CA) which is premised on three main principles namely minimal soil disturbance, crop rotations and mulching is being promoted as a potential solution to declining soil productivity. However, farmers implementing CA in mixed crop-livestock systems are conflicted by the use of crop residues either as livestock feed or as mulch under crop production. A study was carried from 2012/13 to 2014/15 season in Murehwa, a sub-humid region of Zimbabwe, to evaluate the effects of maize-legume cropping systems on forage, maize grain yield and gross margins. In this context, forage refers to the plant material/biomass harvested for livestock feeding. The cropping systems involved one conventional tillage practice with continuous sole maize (CT), four CA treatments consisting of continuous sole maize, maize-mucuna intercrop, maize-cowpea intercrop and maize-groundnut/soybean rotations. The experiment was replicated on eight farmers’ fields with each farmer treated as a replicate. Maize-mucuna (4 134 kg ha-1) and maize-cowpea (3 999 kg ha-1) intercrop systems significantly increased forage yield compared to CA sole maize (3 646 kg ha-1) and CT sole maize (3 076 kg ha-1). Among the rotations, maize-soybean rotation system performed better than the maize-groundnut system with respect to forage yield and maize grain. Intercropping and sole cropping systems however showed no significant maize grain yield difference. The highest and lowest gross margins/ha were obtained from the maize-mucuna intercrop (US$1395) and maize-soybean rotation system (US$507), respectively. The study thus suggests that farmers can grow legumes as intercrops with maize without any loss in maize grain yield. Maize-mucuna intercropping was the best of the tested cropping systems with respect to forage yield and gross margins in mixed crop-livestock systems of Murehwa.

Forage and maize yields in mixed crop-livestock farming systems: Enhancing forage and maize yields in mixed crop-livestock systems under conservation agriculture in sub-humid Zimbabwe

The objective of the study was to examine strategies employed by farmers to mitigate the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a total of 316 communal cattle farming households selected from semi-arid and sub-humid environments (158 each) using structured questionnaires. Farmers in sub-humid environments mostly resorted to controlled migration in search of pastures during drought whilst those in semi-arid environments mainly supplemented their cattle (P   0.05). Mashona cattle were the most preferred breed (P > 0.05). Conformation traits were less preferred in both environments (P < 0.05). It was concluded that communal cattle producers in both environments use dietary supplementation with crop residues and controlled migration in search of pastures and water to mitigate drought effects. Given the shortcomings associated with drought mitigation strategies being used by communal cattle farmers, current findings suggest the need to design and implement sustainable strategies such as breeding cattle for drought resilience and selective supplementary feeding.

Mitigating the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe

Utilization of Poultry Litter as a Feed for Beef Cattle

Bioeconomic evaluation of feedings strategies in the yearling beef cattle system in Mozambique

The economic and performance effect of supplementing smallholder cattle by substituting commercial feed with iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic diets based on alternative protein sources was investigated in two trials. In trial 1, three diets (commercial concentrate, commercial concentrate partially substituted with mucuna, and commercial concentrate partially substituted with lablab–cowpea) compared with veld grass were allocated to 12 cattle in a complete randomised block design. In trial 2, a double complete randomised block design with 40 cattle assigned to four forage legume-based diets, a poultry-based diet and a commercial beef concentrate was carried out. Diets were offered at 1.5% of body weight daily over 56 d. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) was measured weekly in trial 1 and fortnightly in trial 2. In trial 1, ADWG was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for animals on supplements compared with non-supplemented cattle. In trial 2, ADWG was significantly highest on the groundnut stover-based diet a...

/pdf/promoting-the-use-of-home-mixed-supplements-as-alternatives-40pc447eac.pdf

Promoting the use of home-mixed supplements as alternatives to commercial supplements in smallholder beef production systems in the subhumid region of Zimbabwe

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Promoting the use of home-mixed supplements as alternatives to commercial supplements in smallholder beef production systems in the subhumid region of Zimbabwe