Track 4-1-3: Breeding Range Grasses and Legumes for Biomass and Stress Tolerance
Description
Livestock feed scarcity is a salient feature in East Africa (Njarui et al., 2011) and it is a major constraint to livestock productivity particularly during the dry seasons. The recent interest in livestock development in Kenya fueled by rising demands of animal products has led to research in identifying drought tolerant, productive and persistence forages to support livestock productivity. Brachiaria grasses have shown a great potential in South America and Australia as livestock feed. It is the most widely cultivated forage in tropical America, with estimated acreage of 99 million hectares in Brazil alone (Jank et al., 2014), supporting a highly vibrant beef industry. Although the Brachiaria genus is native to East and Central Africa, its potential as livestock feed has not been exploited in the region because of limited research on its benefits. Several Brachiaria cultivars selected and improved in South America were introduced in East Africa and are being assessed for their contribution to livestock feed base in Kenya and Rwanda. This paper reports on preliminary results on establishment and early growth of eight Brachiaria cultivars under different climatic and soils in Kenya.
Included in
Establishment and Early Growth of Improved Brachiaria Cultivars in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Kenya
Livestock feed scarcity is a salient feature in East Africa (Njarui et al., 2011) and it is a major constraint to livestock productivity particularly during the dry seasons. The recent interest in livestock development in Kenya fueled by rising demands of animal products has led to research in identifying drought tolerant, productive and persistence forages to support livestock productivity. Brachiaria grasses have shown a great potential in South America and Australia as livestock feed. It is the most widely cultivated forage in tropical America, with estimated acreage of 99 million hectares in Brazil alone (Jank et al., 2014), supporting a highly vibrant beef industry. Although the Brachiaria genus is native to East and Central Africa, its potential as livestock feed has not been exploited in the region because of limited research on its benefits. Several Brachiaria cultivars selected and improved in South America were introduced in East Africa and are being assessed for their contribution to livestock feed base in Kenya and Rwanda. This paper reports on preliminary results on establishment and early growth of eight Brachiaria cultivars under different climatic and soils in Kenya.
