Theme 2-2: Forage Production and Utilization--Poster Sessions
Description
This study aimed to assess the nutritional quality of the available forage species during a drought in an arid pastoral system in South Africa. Forage biomass was collected during the wet and dry seasons whilst following livestock herds consisting of boer goats, swakara sheep and mixed breed sheep, in both the summer and winter rainfall regions of the pastoral system. Mineral nutrient content in the plant species revealed that the forages utilized by the livestock generally contained adequate concentrations of Mg, Ca, Na, and K to meet the dietary requirements of the small stock in both the winter and summer rainfall areas. Zinc concentrations in more than half of the forages sampled in the summer rainfall area, during both wet and dry seasons, however, were below the required concentrations for small stock. When considering all plant species utilised, the diets were generally adequate in all mineral nutrients. However, none of the forage species contained sufficiently high concentrations of protein to meet the minimum requirements for small stock. These findings therefore show that pastoralists have to deal with chronic low levels of protein during droughts, and their inability to purchase supplementary feed, or to cultivate fodder crops, or temporary emigrate out of the system puts their livelihoods at high risk to climate change.
Included in
Nutritional Quality of Available Forages for Small Stock during a Drought in an Arid Pastoral Landscape in South Africa
This study aimed to assess the nutritional quality of the available forage species during a drought in an arid pastoral system in South Africa. Forage biomass was collected during the wet and dry seasons whilst following livestock herds consisting of boer goats, swakara sheep and mixed breed sheep, in both the summer and winter rainfall regions of the pastoral system. Mineral nutrient content in the plant species revealed that the forages utilized by the livestock generally contained adequate concentrations of Mg, Ca, Na, and K to meet the dietary requirements of the small stock in both the winter and summer rainfall areas. Zinc concentrations in more than half of the forages sampled in the summer rainfall area, during both wet and dry seasons, however, were below the required concentrations for small stock. When considering all plant species utilised, the diets were generally adequate in all mineral nutrients. However, none of the forage species contained sufficiently high concentrations of protein to meet the minimum requirements for small stock. These findings therefore show that pastoralists have to deal with chronic low levels of protein during droughts, and their inability to purchase supplementary feed, or to cultivate fodder crops, or temporary emigrate out of the system puts their livelihoods at high risk to climate change.
