Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo
Inadequate quantity and quality of livestock feed is a persistent constraint to productivity for mixed crop-livestock farming in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. To assess on-farm niches of improved forages, demonstration trials and participatory on-farm research were conducted in four differen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Kassel University Press
2016-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics |
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| Online Access: | http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2016092050939 |
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| author | Birthe K. Paul Fabrice L. Muhimuzi Samy B. Bacigale Benjamin M. M. Wimba Wanjiku L. Chiuri Gaston S. Amzati Brigitte L. Maass |
| author_facet | Birthe K. Paul Fabrice L. Muhimuzi Samy B. Bacigale Benjamin M. M. Wimba Wanjiku L. Chiuri Gaston S. Amzati Brigitte L. Maass |
| author_sort | Birthe K. Paul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Inadequate quantity and quality of livestock feed is a persistent constraint to productivity for mixed crop-livestock farming in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. To assess on-farm niches of improved forages, demonstration trials and participatory on-farm research were conducted in four different sites. Forage legumes included Canavalia brasiliensis (CIAT 17009), Stylosanthes guianensis (CIAT 11995) and Desmodium uncinatum (cv. Silverleaf), while grasses were Guatemala grass (Tripsacum andersonii), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) French Cameroon, and a local Napier line. Within the first six months, forage legumes adapted differently to the four sites with little differences among varieties, while forage grasses displayed higher variability in biomass production among varieties than among sites. Farmers’ ranking largely corresponded to herbage yield from the first cut, preferring Canavalia, Silverleaf desmodium and Napier French Cameroon. Choice of forages and integration into farming systems depended on land availability, soil erosion prevalence and livestock husbandry system. In erosion prone sites, 55–60%of farmers planted grasses on field edges and 16–30% as hedgerows for erosion control. 43% of farmers grew forages as intercrop with food crops such as maize and cassava, pointing to land scarcity. Only in the site with lower land pressure, 71% of farmers grew legumes as pure stand. When land tenure was not secured and livestock freely roaming, 75% of farmers preferred to grow annual forage legumes instead of perennial grasses. Future research should develop robust decision support for spatial and temporal integration of forage technologies into diverse smallholder cropping systems and agro-ecologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:06:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3b8a2080c52f44ab85ba5e587db9b603 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1612-9830 2363-6033 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T13:06:08Z |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | Kassel University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics |
| spelling | doaj.art-3b8a2080c52f44ab85ba5e587db9b6032022-12-22T01:06:19ZengKassel University PressJournal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics1612-98302363-60332016-10-011172243254Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR CongoBirthe K. Paul0Fabrice L. Muhimuzi1Samy B. Bacigale2Benjamin M. M. Wimba3Wanjiku L. Chiuri4Gaston S. Amzati5Brigitte L. Maass6International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi, Kenya; Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the NetherlandsUniversité Evangélique en Afrique (UEA), Bukavu, DR CongoUniversité Evangélique en Afrique (UEA), Bukavu, DR Congo; International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Bukavu, DR CongoInstitut National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA), Bukavu, DR CongoInternational Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi, Kenya;Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA), Bukavu, DR CongoInternational Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Nairobi, Kenya; Department for Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, GermanyInadequate quantity and quality of livestock feed is a persistent constraint to productivity for mixed crop-livestock farming in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. To assess on-farm niches of improved forages, demonstration trials and participatory on-farm research were conducted in four different sites. Forage legumes included Canavalia brasiliensis (CIAT 17009), Stylosanthes guianensis (CIAT 11995) and Desmodium uncinatum (cv. Silverleaf), while grasses were Guatemala grass (Tripsacum andersonii), Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) French Cameroon, and a local Napier line. Within the first six months, forage legumes adapted differently to the four sites with little differences among varieties, while forage grasses displayed higher variability in biomass production among varieties than among sites. Farmers’ ranking largely corresponded to herbage yield from the first cut, preferring Canavalia, Silverleaf desmodium and Napier French Cameroon. Choice of forages and integration into farming systems depended on land availability, soil erosion prevalence and livestock husbandry system. In erosion prone sites, 55–60%of farmers planted grasses on field edges and 16–30% as hedgerows for erosion control. 43% of farmers grew forages as intercrop with food crops such as maize and cassava, pointing to land scarcity. Only in the site with lower land pressure, 71% of farmers grew legumes as pure stand. When land tenure was not secured and livestock freely roaming, 75% of farmers preferred to grow annual forage legumes instead of perennial grasses. Future research should develop robust decision support for spatial and temporal integration of forage technologies into diverse smallholder cropping systems and agro-ecologies.http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2016092050939mixed crop-livestock systemstropical foragesNapier grassfarming system researchparticipatory research |
| spellingShingle | Birthe K. Paul Fabrice L. Muhimuzi Samy B. Bacigale Benjamin M. M. Wimba Wanjiku L. Chiuri Gaston S. Amzati Brigitte L. Maass Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics mixed crop-livestock systems tropical forages Napier grass farming system research participatory research |
| title | Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo |
| title_full | Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo |
| title_fullStr | Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo |
| title_short | Towards an assessment of on-farm niches for improved forages in Sud-Kivu, DR Congo |
| title_sort | towards an assessment of on farm niches for improved forages in sud kivu dr congo |
| topic | mixed crop-livestock systems tropical forages Napier grass farming system research participatory research |
| url | http://jarts.info/index.php/jarts/article/view/2016092050939 |
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