By Beatrice Wendoh Adding Urea Molasses Mineral Blocks (UMMB) to an animal’s diet can increase the total amount of nutrition the animal receives by up to 30%. Even when cultivating your own forages, it can be difficult to provide dairy cattle with all of the nutrients required by farm animals necessary for them to stay healthy and
By Maurice Rangoma Research on fodder business in Kenya need a multidisciplinary approach involving agronomists, plant breeders, economists and animal production specialists. Some of the key research areas that would boost fodder production, conservation and trade include the following:
There is over reliance of Rhodes grass as the preferred grass for making hay. Most people are willing to buy Rhodes grass hay because they believe the grass produces high quality hay. However, some of the hay produced are of low quality. A study on alternative fodder suitable for conservation and trade in various agro ecological zones is needed.
Currently traded fodder and in particular size of bales and their quality needs a study. The assumption that all bales weigh 15kg is not true. Most hay bales weigh between 8 to 12kg but farmers are told it is 15kg when buying. Most of the hay that is sold lack quality and that’s the more need to understand what is available. Once the quantities and qualities are ascertained, hay can be packed and sold based on quality. This is important to farmers because they would have better prediction on the performance of their animals upon purchasing and feeding certain qualities of hay. This aspect is lacking and that’s why farmers in Kajiado and other places in the country buy anything that is baled believing that it is hay.
Grazing animals has been a way of life especially for beef cattle keepers in Kenya, utilizing natural pastures especially in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL). This justifies the need to improve natural pastures in ASAL and other areas. There is a great potential to increase fodder production in ASAL because that is where the land is. A lot of emphasis has been on dairy production and in so doing neglecting beef production which is a major contributor to the economy in the ASAL and the country in general.
There is need to repatriate many African fodder varieties from other countries like India, Argentina, Brazil and others back into Kenya. These can then be adapted to the various agro ecological zones especially in the ASAL.
More studies are needed to understand emerging trends about fodder / pasture production and in particular, detailed analysis to establish trends, their economics and the demand. Agronomic and productivity studies to identify broadly on fodder varieties suitable for various agro ecological zones should continue.
So as to move faster in fodder breeding and identifying suitable strains, matters into selection and mutation breeding should be applied so that greater progress can be made. The issue of seeding ability which is a very important trait need a lot of attention. Invasive species such prosopis that is causing devastation in Kajiado. Even if farmers are allowed to produce seeds and distribute them directly to other farmers, it is in most cases not easy to get the seeds. Availability of fodder seeds has been a problem at Kenya Seed Company in Kitale because of seeding ability and the influence of disease. Community fodder seed systems can be up scaled to fast track fodder production. Makueni County is a good example where using farmers, the county has been able to produce adequate seeds and most of the county is now sufficient in terms of fodder.
Research on alternative methods of fodder conservation is required. Pelleting, feed block making are examples which can reduce the cost of transportation. Important questions to ask are what are the economics and what are the effects on the quality of products so produced. But in the long run it will be easier and cheaper to transport fodder. Take the case of transporting a 12Kg hay bale (most bales rarely weigh 15kg) at a price of KES 200 in Nakuru to Mandera. By the time it reaches that destination the cost would have quadrupled to KES 800. That is extremely expensive. The cost can be greatly reduced by pelleting, making into blocks or other methods of compacting. This goes together with appropriate technology and equipment for medium and small scale levels for seeding and compacting fodder. Theses technology and equipment should be cost effective for harvesting fodder seed and increasing the mass to volume ration of conserved fodder.
Water conservation techniques for fodder production especially in dry areas is an important research area. There are examples of water conservation technologies in Australia and Israel that can be used to grow fodder for grazing in dry lands. This can happen in Kenya but adaptation studies need to be done to find out the best way and how it can work.
Another area for consideration is ICT based technology sharing platforms. We can start by validating existing information sharing technologies across the world then make recommendations of what is suitable in Kenya. There are platforms in India which work very well and others in China but in Chinese that can be developed. And for this to be practical, partnership with the private sector will be very important but the private person must see a business case for it, otherwise they will not be willing to do it. There used to be one such platform in this country but when KALRO and other agencies merged, that system died and it will take an equivalent amount of money which was used to generate it, to develop it and restart it. Farmers should be able to ask questions or send queries through their mobile phones and get answers. There was also one ran by Access Kenya but I don’t know how easy it is for farmers to get into it. One technology sharing platform for fodder can be done especially with private partnership. Meanwhile in the short term Huduma Centres can be used to access information. These centres have a lot of information except agriculture related. Desks on fodder information such as seeds, outlets, establishment, marketing and banking can be established at these centres to boost information sharing.
Queries by livestock farmers on what the effect on production of feeding certain type of grasses would be calls for studies on modelling. Questions such as the expected milk yield on feeding cows on for example, Napier grass can be answered very easily by models. But developing models require a lot of data. This data comes from animal nutrition studies that determine responses to feeding identified fodder, taking into consideration such issues as how performance is affected by quantity and quality. This data can be generated by animal nutritionists to be used in modelling which then can be used for extension advisory services to farmers. Generating this data takes time but with adequate effort this can be achieved in 3 to 4 years. With this data models can be built to predict what happens when livestock are fed certain combination of feeds.
One of the areas of concern in research is that it is a very expensive exercise. The listing of almost all research that has been done under KARI, now KALRO, is either funded by the Netherlands, FAO, SNV, USAID or some other institutions. The challenge here is for the National Government to seriously consider allocating enough resources to research and extension, both in universities and KALRO, or other interested parties. This is in line with what the Malabo Declaration is about.
By Maurice Rangoma Farmers who are at pains to make their cows produce more milk should give a shot at Brachiaria grass. This grass has mesmerized farmers who have planted and used it. Dairy farmers who have tried it in Malindi, Kilifi, Machakos, Makueni, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Embu and Meru have reported massive boosts in milk production without supplementation with concentrates.
Read more: Brachiaria grass will make your cow produce more milk
By Maurice Rangoma Lucerne, also known as alfalfa, is the single most important fodder crop that a dairy farmer should always have in the farm. The term Alfalfa is an Arabic word meaning “best fodder” because of its palatability and high feeding value. It can substitute up to 80% of commercial feeds purchased for the dairy cow. Despite the immense benefit it can bring many farmers have not seen the need for establishing the crop. Lucerne can grow in many areas across the country.
The practice by many farmers whenever they desire to increase the area under pasture is to cultivate more forage rich in carbohydrates such as Napier grass, Rhodes grass, fodder maize, fodder sorghum and the like. It most often happens out of ignorance on the feeding and nutrient requirements of farm animals. More quantities of the same type of feed are then presented to animals. The end result is more areas under forage but with insignificant or no increase in the amount of milk produced, so that the farmer is left wondering whether the output was worth the investment.
Lucerne is not the only legume that can be incorporated in the pasture profile. There are many legume species commonly used as pasture or fodder but when compared, lucerne comes out with gleaming attributes. It has very high protein content (15 – 25%), highly digestible (60 – 75%) and has high levels of energy (ME 8 – 11MJ/kg DM). It comprises about 50% of all protein supplements in livestock feeds. It can be pelleted and stored in bags.
Lucerne grows well in deep soils that are not acidic. Acidity in soils can be corrected by applying lime. If the area is dry the crop can be put under irrigation. The plant is perennial with very deep roots that can go up to 6 metres under, so it can survive drought once established. It can be harvested 3 – 4 times in a year if the rains are good. There is no need of replanting because it has the ability to re-grow from the cut stems. This ability to re-grow is very important because it eliminates the need for recurrent land preparations and sowing.
To the farmer, the most important quality of lucerne is its ability to be conserved. Other legumes have very poor keeping qualities. Lucerne can be conserved as hay and fed to animals at a later date. This is important during dry periods when pastures are scarce, but even more important is that it allows the farmer to organize a comprehensive feeding plan for the herd. The assurance that adequate quantities will be available throughout the year makes it possible to formulate suitable rations and project the potential amount of milk that can be produced in the year.
One impediment that has faced farmers is their lack of knowledge or skills on how to establish the crop. Many farmers simply purchase lucerne seeds from agrovets and sow them directly into improperly prepared seedbeds. Some of those who have attempted to inoculate the seeds have done it wrongly. The outcome has been very poor germination thus discouraging the farmers from establishing the crop.
The correct way to establish lucerne is by first properly inoculating the seeds. Appropriate inoculants are available in agrovets. For a good sticker make a solution of sugar or molasses in molasses to water ratio of 1:4. Thoroughly mix the sticker with lucerne seeds ensuring that all the seeds are covered by a thin layer of the sticker. Then pour the inoculant on the mixture and mix thoroughly. Do not expose the inoculant to sunshine because it can kill the bacterium. Coat the resulting mixture with lime. This activity should be carried out shortly before sowing.
Use certified seeds to sow on rows 45cm apart on a fine, moist and weed free seedbed at a rate of 3 – 4kg per acre. The soils should be deep and well drained. Avoid any soils that are saline, waterlogged or have damaging herbicides. To avoid scorching of the seeds with fertilizer, ensure that the seeds do not have direct contact with fertilizer by mixing it with soil before sowing. Sow the seeds shallowly at a depth of 5 to 15mm and cover with light soils because they may not emerge if sown deeper than 20mm and covered with deep soil. Lucerne need sufficient moisture to germinate therefore sow the seeds at the beginning of the rainy season or when you are sure that enough rains will follow soon. Irrigate the seedbed if the soils are dry and continue this until all the seeds have germinated and strong enough to withstand low moisture levels. Ensure that there are no weeds affecting the crop.
Depending on rainfall and climatic conditions, the first cut should be made when the crop is around 40mm tall, has several stems and appears bushy. Cut when about 10% of the crop is flowering because if done earlier it can reduce the lifespan of the stand. Thereafter the crop can be harvested every 4 -5 weeks under irrigation or 3 months under rainfall. This can go on for 5 years when the crop should be replaced. Cut the crop at the base 50mm above the ground and allow 2 to 3 days in the field for the leaves to wilt before raking and baling. The wilted crop is ready for baling if the skin around the stem can be easily removed. Do not let the leaves to overdry because of the risk of severe losses. Start baling very early in the morning when dew helps in reducing losses. Collect and remove the hay from the field as soon as possible and store in a barn protected from rainfall and sunshine.
Under good management yields are more than 8 tons per acre. Given that on average a cow is fed about 15kg per day on top of the grasses to satisfy its nutritional requirements, an acre is enough to feed 2 cows for one year. This is an immense saving given the high costs of commercial feeds.
In conclusion, the single most important forage crop that can bring sufficient increases in milk production when introduced to the dairy herd is lucerne and farmers are well advised to take this crop very seriously.
By Maurice Rangoma
The most important constraint in dairy cattle production in Kenya is the quantity and quality of feed offered to the animals. This problem can addressed if farm by-products such as maize stover, millet and sorghum stovers are treated for utilization by cattle and other domestic ruminants. The idea is to improve the nutritive value of maize stover and straws by use of urea solution which is usually abundant in the farm.
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