Search Results (3)

Insufficient access to high-quality feed in sufficient amounts is hindering the sustainable growth of the Indian cattle sector. The feed supply is negatively impacted by increased cropping intensity, limited grazing land, and the effects of climate change. Therefore, developing cost-effective methods to improve feed availability year-round is crucial. Improved planted forages, such as Napier grass, are recommended to address feed shortages in semi-arid agroecological regions in India. The study, using the PSM approach, investigates the socioeconomic factors that impact Napier adoption, its influence on enhanced milk output, time saved in livestock farming, farmers’ well-being, and livestock health. This study employed a multistage sampling method to choose 309 participants for the questionnaire survey. Our analysis shows that Napier adoption resulted in a 24.6% rise in daily milk output/cow and a 61.2% overall improvement in total milk production/year/cow when compared with baseline data. Napier’s adoption decreased livestock farming times by 30 min/cow. Additionally, women’s involvement in livestock farming improved with Napier farming, and farmers who have switched to Napier have seen a remarkable increase in their net income, with a monthly boost of Rs. 2044–2555 per cow. Additionally, daily milk consumption has also skyrocketed, with a remarkable enhancement of 143–153 mL per person daily. Our study highlights that the farmer’s age, education level, livestock unit, and land holding play a crucial role. Additionally, the availability of extension services and farmer group participation can further impact the adoption process. Furthermore, our study explores how these factors shape the decision-making process and drive the successful integration of Napier grass into farming practices. However, considering the spatial limitations and reliance on self-reported data in this study, we suggest future research examining the long-term effects of Napier grass adoption on climate-smart agricultural practices, soil moisture, and socioeconomic benefits, involving field experiments, modeling, and farmer participation. Full article

The livestock-dairy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Rwanda, is experiencing rapid growth due to population expansion, urbanisation, and changing food preferences. The unmet local production demands are causing soil and water pollution, competition for biomass, land, and water, but also grassland degradation, biodiversity loss, and increased GHGs emissions. Rwanda has the lowest productivity in the region, largely due to inadequate and poor-quality livestock feed resources. To increase animal productivity, promoting forage species with higher nutritional value and better adaptation to drought-prone and poor-fertility soils could be beneficial. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study explores Brachiaria forage adoption and profitability and analyses policy objectives and measures to overcome adoption barriers and promote the transition from subsistence to market-oriented systems. Results show that Brachiaria, although advantageous from an economic point of view, is characterised by very low adoption rates. Furthermore, access to extension programmes is limited and often not supported by adequate incentives. To overcome such barriers, policy interventions should be harmonised and information and knowledge management prioritised, public and private extension and advisory services (EASs) programmes coordinated, agricultural input subsidies increased, and institutional coordination promoted to enhance climate-smart animal feeding. Full article

Methane is a major constituent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ruminants, and mitigation strategies are needed to alleviate this negative environmental impact while maintaining the environmental and other benefits of grazing systems. Forages containing plant-specialized metabolites (PSM), particularly condensed tannins, may help reduce enteric methane (CH₄) emissions. However, information on in vivo CH₄ emissions from cows grazing mixtures that contain bioactive herbs is scarce. Accordingly, this study compared a binary mixture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) against a diverse mixture of six additional species, including tannin-rich species like birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) and salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor), in a full-grazing dairy system. Enteric CH₄ emissions were measured using the SF₆ tracer technique. Cows grazing diverse mixtures increased their energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield by 4% (p < 0.001) compared with binary mixtures. However, CH₄ emissions per kg ECM were also 11% greater for the diverse mixtures (p < 0.05). The very high feed quality and milk yield from both mixtures explained the low CH₄ emissions recorded relative to the milk output. The addition of forbs did not provide additional benefits at these intensities, as they were maintained in low yield shares throughout. Full article