The objectives of this workshop were to bring together scientists involved in research on crop improvement, ruminant nutrition, feed chemistry and animal production to:
· discuss and assess the effects of current trends in plant breeding on the nutritive value of crop residues;· consider the economic benefits of high-yielding varieties (both grain and residue) to smallholder crop/livestock farming systems; and
· identify parameters that need to be monitored in order to maintain high nutritive value of crop residues.
The workshop was organized into five sessions, and these form the major divisions of the proceedings. Session 1 set the stage for our deliberations by stressing the importance of crop residues as feed resources in smallholder crop/livestock farming systems. Session 2 highlighted the problems of using crop residues as feeds by combining presentations on basic problems of feed chemistry and ruminant nutrition. These two sessions, presented during the first day of the workshop, provided the background material for discussions during the next three sessions.
Session 3 presented four ease studies on the effects of genotype and environment on the nutritive value of crop residues. Sessions 2 and 3 were presented by feed chemists and ruminant nutritionists. The workshop organisers sincerely appreciated the patience and enthusiasm shown by the scientists associated with crop improvement programmes during these sessions and the constructive dialogue that developed between scientists from disciplines which, for the most part, are separated by institutional boundaries.
Session 4 was intended to present the perspectives and implications for crop improvement programmes primarily from the viewpoint of the plant breeder. However, one problem encountered was to find plant breeders who have participated in this type of research, and only one paper was presented by a plant breeder.
Session 5, the concluding session, was also designed to obtain the perspectives of crop scientists, through discussion with scientists from other disciplines, on future prospects for plant breeding to maintain or improve the nutritive value of crop residues. These discussions led to the recommendations made in the final section of the proceedings. The workshop organisers wish to express their gratitude to all the participants for their active and constructive involvement in this session.
Finally, the organisers wish to thank ILCA and all the other institutions that provided funding for the participants. Each CGIAR centre funded its scientists. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation, ACP-EEC Lome Convention, provided funds for the participation of several scientists from national programmes. Participants were also funded by the Overseas Development and Natural Resources Institute and the Institute of Grassland and Animal Production, UK.
We hope that the proceedings will be useful to researchers interested in crop/livestock interactions and the importance of crop residues as feed resources in smallholder farming systems.
Jess Reed
Brian Capper
Paul Neate
April 1988
