Intensive fodder gardens for increasing forage availability for smallholder dairy production in Hai District, Tanzania

E J Mtengeti N A Urio and G. I Mlay

Department of Animal Science and Production
Faculty of Agriculture
Sokoine University of Agriculture
PO Box 3004, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

For a long time, scarcity of animal feed has been a major constraint to smallholder dairy production in Hai District in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, where land shortage is a serious problem. Feed resources commonly used are grass (cut and transported from the lowlands), crop residues and agro-industrial byproducts. But the costs of transporting low quality feed from the lowlands and of treating crop residues increase the cost of milk production. Small backyard fodder plots have been used to provide additional feed, but these plots have not been managed intensively, and their yields have been low.

From September 1989, studies on intensive fodder gardens were started at four sites in Hai District; three grasses - Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass), Tripsacum laxum (Guatemala grass) and Setaria splendida (setaria) were planted alone or together with a legume, green leaf Desmodium (Desmodium intortum), at each site. In the first year, total annual herbage yields (fresh weight) from sole grass plots ranged from 48 to 254 t/ha; yields from grass-legume plots were usually slightly higher. These results indicate that intensive fodder gardens can increase forage quality and availability for smallholder dairy production in land shortage areas.

RESUME

Accroissement du disponible fourrager grâce aux vergers d'embouche en vue de la petite exploitation laitière dans le district de Hai en Tanzanie

Les pénuries d'aliments du bétail constituent depuis de nombreuses années un obstacle majeur au développement de la petite production laitière dans le district de Hai, dans la région du Kilimandjaro en Tanzanie. Les graminées (en provenance des basses terres), les résidus de récolte et les sous- produits agro-industriels sont les ressources alimentaires les plus utilisées dans cette zone où le manque de terre constitue un problème extrêmement sérieux. Malheureusement, les frais de transport de ce fourrage de qualité médiocre et les frais de conditionnement des résidus de récolte grèvent lourdement la production laitière dans cette région. Faute d'un mode de gestion intensif la production des petits vergers d'embouche mis en place autour des cases pour accroître la production d'aliments du bétail demeure faible.

En septembre 1989, des études ont démarré sur des vergers d'embouche sur quatre sites du district de Hai. A cet effet trois graminées, à savoir Pennisetum purpureum (herbe à éléphant), Tripsacum laxum (herbe du Guatemala) et Setaria splendide (setaria) ont été semées en cultures pures ou en association avec Desmodium intortum - une légumineuse sur chaque site. Au cours de la première année, la production totale (poids vert) de fourrage des parcelles semées uniquement de graminées allait de 48 à 254 t/ha; quant à celle des parcelles d'association graminées-légumineuses, elle était généralement légèrement plus élevée. Ces résultats montrent que les vergers d'embouche peuvent permettre d'accroître la qualité et la production de fourrage à l'intention des petits producteurs de lait des régions où le manque de terre constitue un sérieux problème.

INTRODUCTION

In recent years smallholder dairy farming in Hai District, Tanzania, has been gaining momentum, not only as a supplier of a high quality food (milk) but also as a major source of cash for farmers (Mdoe, 1985). A major constraint to this flourishing industry is shortage of animal feed; most farmers own only small farms (about 0.5 ha) around their homesteads, which they use to grow coffee, bananas and vegetables. The problem will worsen as population pressure increases and land becomes even scarcer.

Feed resources used by these farmers are grass and crop residues transported from the lowlands, vegetable residues, weeds from banana/coffee plots and sometimes agro-industrial byproducts (such as molasses). But the cost of transporting cut grass and crop residues from the lowlands increases the costs of smallholder dairy production, and because these feeds have only low nutritive value, milk yields are low (Urio, 1987). Moreover, feeding weeds from banana/coffee plots to animals can be dangerous because toxic fungicides and pesticides are sprayed on the coffee plants.

Small backyard fodder plots have been used to grow additional animal feed, but lack of intensive management has meant that the yields from these plots have been low. Urio (1987) noted that increased production from backyard fodder plots can be increased by improving agronomic practices, by including legume species in pasture plots and through better supply of pasture seeds. And recently, small-scale farmers in Hai district have been urged by livestock extension advisers to manage their homestead fodder plots intensively, in the same way as vegetable gardens, so as to improve fodder yield and quality: fodder plots that are managed intensively in this way are termed "intensive fodder gardens".

This paper presents the encouraging first-year results from an on-going study on intensive fodder gardens at four different sites in Hai District, Tanzania.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experimental plots were established at four research sites (Sanya juu, Mowanjamu, Kashashi and Nronga) in September 1989; plot size ranged from 20 to 48 m², depending on the availability of land. Three grasses - Pennisetum purpureum (elephant grass), Tripsacum laxum (Guatemala grass) and Setaria splendida (setaria) - were planted from the end of September to mid-October 1989, alone or together with a legume, (Desmodium intortum cv Greenleaf). The experimental design was a randomised complete block with two replicates. Grass spacing was 1.0 x 0.5 m; the legume was sown in rows between the grass rows, at a seed rate of 1.2 kg/ha. Manure was applied at Sanya juu (8 t/ha) and Nronga (10 t/ha) before planting. Urea was applied at Mowanjamu (70 kg N/ha) one month after planting. No manure or fertiliser was applied at Kashashi. Plots were weeded continuously during fodder establishment.

Elephant grass was harvested when it was about 1 m high, Guatemala grass and setaria at about 0.75 m. Guatemala grass and setaria were cut at 15 cm above ground level; elephant grass was cut at almost ground level so as to get strong tillers and maintain the productive lifespan of the grass. Three cuttings were made between January and June 1990, except at Sanya juu where only two cuttings were possible due to late onset of the long rains. After cutting, the grass and legume were separated and weighed to determine the fresh-weight yield.

Routine management of the experimental plots was done by farmers; planting, cutting and weighing were undertaken jointly by researchers, farmers and extension staff.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Results for each site are presented in Table 1. Yields of grass or grass-legume mixture were highest from elephant grass plots and lowest from Guatemala grass plots. The legume gave the highest yield when mixed with Guatemala grass and the lowest when mixed with elephant grass. The shading effect of the elephant grass appears to hinder the growth of the legume.

With the exception of elephant grass at two sites and setaria and Guatemala grass at one site each, total herbage yield was slightly (but not significantly) higher from grass-legume mixtures than from sole grass plots. It has been shown that elephant grass is at a competitive disadvantage with Desmodium intortum under regular defoliation (Tiley, 1989). However, in this case the decline in yield at the two sites did not appear to be due to competition because the percentage of legume in the mixture was low, and so the effect must have been caused by other environmental factors.

Table 1. Mean yields of grass and grass/legume mixtures at four sites in Hai District Tanzania, 1990

Species		Mean fresh-weight yields (t/ha per year)
		Grass alone	Grass/legume mixture			% change in total herbage yield	% legume in the mixture
			Grass	Legume	Total
Kashashi
	Pennisetum purpureum	254.05	203.60	12.05	215.65	-15.10	5.59
	Tripsacum laxum	85.80	81.90	26.10	108.00	25.87	24.17
	Setaria splendida	98.50	140.00	25.40	165.40	67.92	15.36
Mowanjamu
	Pennisetum purpureum	132.35	116.25	7.25	123.50	-6.69	5.87
	Tripsacum laxum	72.50	63.10	21.35	84.45	16.48	25.28
	Setaria splendida	93.95	102.30	9.60	111.90	19.11	8.58
Nronga
	Pennisetum purpureum	203.45	213.20	1.55	214.75	5.56	0.72
	Tripsacum laxum	47.80	48.70	18.10	66.80	39.75	27.1
	Setaria splendida	96.65	90.45	11.80	102.25	5.79	11.54
Senya juu
	Pennisetum purpureum	193.60	207.80	0.50	208.25	7.57	0.24
	Tripsacum laxum	81.10	56.90	9.00	65.90	-18.74	13.66
	Setaria splendida	153.90	146.90	0.65	147.50	-4.16	0.44

Significant yield differences were found across the four sites. Although the differences observed were partly attributed to site-specific factors, differences in the level of management might also have contributed to the observed results.

CONCLUSION

These first-year results seemed very encouraging to the farmers who learned the importance of backyard intensive fodder gardens. With intensive management, the fodder gardens could produce enough fodder to improve the feed budget and thus maintain high milk production throughout the year. The farmers also learned other advantages of grass-legume mixtures, such as conserving labour by harvesting two separate forages together, suppression of weed growth by legume between grass rows and improving forage quality. An on-going economic evaluation is looking at how the cost of milk production could be affected by these fodder gardens. Meanwhile, the technology of grass-legume mixtures, which was hitherto uncommon in the district, is spreading fast because of the apparently obvious advantage of better quality feed.

REFERENCES

Mdoe N S Y. 1985. An economic analysis of alternative dairy feed management systems in Kilimanjaro highlands, Tanzania. MSc Thesis. University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Tiley G E D. 1989. Factors affecting the productivity of elephant grass. In: XVI International Grassland Congress, 4-11 October 1989, Nice, France. Association française pour la production fourragère (fine French Grassland Society), Versailles, France. p. 601.

Urio N A. 1987. Feed resources for dairy farmers in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In: Kategile J A, Said A N and Dzowela B H (eds), Animal feed resources for small-scale livestock producers. Proceedings of the second PANESA workshop, held in Nairobi, Kenya, 11-15 November 1985. IDRC-MR165e. IDRC (International Development Research Centre), Nairobi, Kenya. pp. 167-173.