Description
As important as pasture is to productive management of cattle, sheep and goats, intensive development of grassland for ruminant animals is rare in Nigeria largely due to no conscious effort at pasture cultivation in the country. Consequently, nomadic and free grazing systems remain a practice in the country, with resultant poor animal productivity and agro-related conflicts between ruminant keepers and crop farmers and/or agro-processors. The need to revert this situation underscored the exploration of the potential value of the innovative pasture production and grazing management system tested under the Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) programmme in Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, for application in Nigeria. The project, which cultivated swards of different species such as permanent pasture, grass mix (“soft fibre” cultivars) and multispecies swards, was managed as continuous stocking orcell-rotational grazing systems under drained and undrained soil conditions. Conscientious management and weekly monitoring of the pasture, using calibrated plate-meter, not only made it possible to ensure adequate herbage availability to the reared ruminants but also enhanced productive performance of the farm animals. Although, the common types of swards in Nigeria differ from that of ASSIST project, a modified application of the paddock development model could enhance quality paddock development in the country for sustainable grazing and productive ruminant management.
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Pasture Production and Grazing System in ASSIST Project: Outcome and Replication Viability in Nigeria for Sustainable Ruminant Production
As important as pasture is to productive management of cattle, sheep and goats, intensive development of grassland for ruminant animals is rare in Nigeria largely due to no conscious effort at pasture cultivation in the country. Consequently, nomadic and free grazing systems remain a practice in the country, with resultant poor animal productivity and agro-related conflicts between ruminant keepers and crop farmers and/or agro-processors. The need to revert this situation underscored the exploration of the potential value of the innovative pasture production and grazing management system tested under the Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems (ASSIST) programmme in Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom, for application in Nigeria. The project, which cultivated swards of different species such as permanent pasture, grass mix (“soft fibre” cultivars) and multispecies swards, was managed as continuous stocking orcell-rotational grazing systems under drained and undrained soil conditions. Conscientious management and weekly monitoring of the pasture, using calibrated plate-meter, not only made it possible to ensure adequate herbage availability to the reared ruminants but also enhanced productive performance of the farm animals. Although, the common types of swards in Nigeria differ from that of ASSIST project, a modified application of the paddock development model could enhance quality paddock development in the country for sustainable grazing and productive ruminant management.
