~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second FAO Electronic Conference on Tropical Feeds
Livestock Feed Resources within Integrated Farming Systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abstract of eighth paper, from Alvaro Ocampo.

Questions that might stimulate discussion on this topic
include:

1. On the experiment on supplementation with blocks containing
oil, can the effect be attributed to the extra energy
(by-pass?) or to the nitrogen? Would it be an additional
effect on the Brachiaria pasture?

2. Can we realistically design pig production systems,
including the lactation period, outdoors in order to have all
the mentioned benefits to the environment and the wellbeing of
the animals?

3. How do we determine the essential amino acids availability
for swine from the fresh plant protein sources?

4. Are there prospects in your country for using palm oil in
the diet of poultry, pigs, small ruminants or cattle?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE AFRICAN OIL PALM IN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS IN
COLOMBIA: NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Alvaro Ocampo Duran, University of the Llanos - Colombia
PO Box 2621 Villavicencio. e-mail: aduran@colciencias.gov.co

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABSTRACT

Recent work supports and extends the idea of using the African
oil palm as a strategic resource within integrated tropical
production systems. 

The use of high-energy multi-nutritional blocks containing
palm oil for beef cattle has been evaluated. Results show a
significant increase in animal production especially in
grazing systems based on the natural savannahs. 

Pig production work has continued with the aim of refining the
use of crude palm oil in the diet and increasing the use of
protein rich forages like the leaves of Manihot esculenta,
Trichanthera gigantea or Azolla filliculoides as replacements
for soyabean meal. Also, a feeding and management system for
grazing pigs has been designed with satisfactory results. This
system, based on an integral approach, aims to improve the
soil conditions of land which is destined for crop production.

The utilization of crude palm oil in the diet of broilers kept
in a semi-confined system has resulted in similar performance
to that of a confined system based on cereals, as well as
permitting the inclusion of significant levels of protein-rich
forages. 

High-energy blocks have also been used with good results in
African hair sheep production. 

These systems offer new alternatives for small and
medium-sized farmers to increase profitability, make better
use of local resources, reduce dependence on external inputs
and exploit the biodiversity of the natural ecosystem.

KEY WORDS: African oil palm, livestock, integration, Elaeis
guineensis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAO ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE:
LIVESTOCK FEED RESOURCES WITHIN INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Neither the conference organizers nor FAO accept
any legal responsibility for either the contents of this
message or any copyright laws that the person sending this
electronic message may have violated.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TO COMMENT: Unless you want to reply only to the person
sending this information, please send your comments to the
address: TFCONF2-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
or TFCONF2-ABS-L@MAILSERV.FAO.ORG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~