STUDIES ON FERTILIZER NITROGEN AND CUTTING MANAGEMENT OF SOWN GRASS AND LEGUME PASTURES IN PURE AND MIXED SWARDS.

📄 Project Abstract

In Nigeria, feed deficits and low quality of the available feed, particularly during 5 to 7 months of the dry season are major constraints for optimum livestock production from the savanna rangelands (Omokanye, Kalla, Alawa and Otchere, 1998). Livestock production depends closely on the availability of animal feed of high quality. Availability of high quality feed is influenced by climatic conditions, plant species and stage of maturity, soil, the level of inputs and by management (Muhammad, Hena, Agishi and Olorunju, 2002; Enoh, Kijora, Peters and Yonkeu, 2005). Smallholder producers of ruminants, particularly cattle, sheep and goats, in Nigeria rely on unimproved natural pasture as the main feed source, backed up with crop residues after harvest (Bamikole, Akinsoyinu, Ezenwa, Babayemi, Akinlade and Adewumi, 2004). The animals in consequence grow slowly, produce little milk and reproduce at long intervals. This problem of inadequate feeding stuff is further aggravated particularly in ...