Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Planted forage legumes were introduced into West Africa circa 1950. Since then, a range of species and strategies for their introduction into farming have been evaluated. Approaches to both evaluation and use have changed considerably, especially in the past 15 years. Much of the early research was on-station and focused on using mainly Stylosanthes species as introduced pastures. The Stylosanthes "fodder bank" concept followed this, but with a fairly stringent "recipe" for farmers to manage and use the legume "bank" for strategic ruminant supplementation in the dry season. Later evaluation included more legume species, more participatory approaches, and identification of potential domains in relation to farmers' social, economic and biophysical situations. It also included a holistic view of the potential multiple roles of legumes in West Africa, especially in relation to the major mixed crop-livestock system, on which up to 80% of the population may depend. In the context of intensifying mixed crop livestock systems, dual purpose varieties of annual (food-feed) legumes (mainly cowpea and groundnut) are gaining popularity, especially in areas where farmers have good market access and pressure on land is high. [Dual purpose legumes are not considered in the assessment of adoption and potential in this manuscript]. Farmers in areas with poor market access and lower land pressure have adopted non-food legumes to a limited extent, especially Centrosema pascuorum (used as cut-and-carry from a 1-year planted sole plot), and to a lesser extent, Aeschynomene histrix (grazed in situ from a 1-2 year planted fallow) planted for forage and soil fertility restoration.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Planted Forage Legumes in West Africa
Planted forage legumes were introduced into West Africa circa 1950. Since then, a range of species and strategies for their introduction into farming have been evaluated. Approaches to both evaluation and use have changed considerably, especially in the past 15 years. Much of the early research was on-station and focused on using mainly Stylosanthes species as introduced pastures. The Stylosanthes "fodder bank" concept followed this, but with a fairly stringent "recipe" for farmers to manage and use the legume "bank" for strategic ruminant supplementation in the dry season. Later evaluation included more legume species, more participatory approaches, and identification of potential domains in relation to farmers' social, economic and biophysical situations. It also included a holistic view of the potential multiple roles of legumes in West Africa, especially in relation to the major mixed crop-livestock system, on which up to 80% of the population may depend. In the context of intensifying mixed crop livestock systems, dual purpose varieties of annual (food-feed) legumes (mainly cowpea and groundnut) are gaining popularity, especially in areas where farmers have good market access and pressure on land is high. [Dual purpose legumes are not considered in the assessment of adoption and potential in this manuscript]. Farmers in areas with poor market access and lower land pressure have adopted non-food legumes to a limited extent, especially Centrosema pascuorum (used as cut-and-carry from a 1-year planted sole plot), and to a lesser extent, Aeschynomene histrix (grazed in situ from a 1-2 year planted fallow) planted for forage and soil fertility restoration.
