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

Abstract of the twenty ninth paper, from C.A. Flores Valdez
and G. Aranda Osorio.

Questions that might stimulate discussion on this topic
include:

1. Apart from the well-known use of Opuntia as a drought feed,
is it a major fodder all year round in your area? If not, what
are the constraints impeding this happening considering its
very efficient use of water compared to other traditional
fodders?

2. Do you have any data on the water requirements of Opuntia
compared to those of traditional fodders?

3. Do you have any data on Opuntia used as the basis of the
ruminant diet all year round?

4. What are the alternatives to Opuntia for drought feeding in
your area?

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

OPUNTIA-BASED RUMINANT FEEDING SYSTEMS IN MEXICO

Claudio A. Flores Valdez and Gilberto Aranda Osorio
 
The Nopal Program. CIESTAAM.
University of Chapingo, Mexico

E-mail: caflores@taurus1.chapingo.mx

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

ABSTRACT

In Mexico, the arid and semi-arid regions occupy around 50% of
the total area. One of the plant resources with a wide range
of distribution and uses by man and animals is nopal
(Opuntia).

The use of nopal as forage in Mexico depends mostly on the
utilization of wild nopal communities and less on the
cultivated forage, fruit or vegetable plantations.

The Opuntia species utilized are numerous and they are used to
feed cattle (milk and meat), goats (meat and milk), sheep
(meat and wool), horses (transportation and draft), and
wildlife. The volumes fed to cattle are around 30-40 kg per
day and to goats and sheep around 6-8 kg.

The utilization of the nopal is carried out by large, medium
and small rangeland ranches, and in medium and small stables.
The methods used by the farmers are reviewed. The comparative
advantages of nopal are highlighted and recommendations are
given for further research and extension programmes.

KEY WORDS: Opuntia, prickly pear, nopal, Mexico, feed,
ruminant

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