Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Productivity And Nutritive Value Of Urochloa Grass Cultivars In Semi-Arid Tropical Kenya, Donald M. G. Njarui, Mwangi Gatheru

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is increasing demand for high yielding and nutritious forages to meet the growing dairy farming in semi-arid Kenya. The productivity and nutritive value of seven Urochloa grass cultivars (Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs. Marandu, MG4, Piatá and Xaraes, U. humidicola cv. Llanero and U. hybrid cv. Mulato II) were evaluated in two diverse semi-arid environments, Katumani and Ithookwe in Kenya. At Katumani, the dry matter (DM) yield (5000 - 7500 kg/ha) was highest during the first harvest during the long rains (LR) 2014 season. Dry matter yield declined progressively with season and in the third season …

Participatory Evaluation And Selection Of Improved Urochloa Grass Cultivars In Kenya, Mwangi Gatheru, C. N. Ondiko, W. Ayako, M. C. Mutoko, Elias M. Gichangi, Donald M. G. Njarui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Low adoption of superior agricultural technologies has been attributed to insufficient attention given to farmers’ priorities and perceptions while developing technologies. There is therefore a need to involve farmers in development of new forage technologies in order to increase adoption. Participatory variety selection (PVS) was conducted on eight Urochloa grass cultivars in the coastal lowlands, eastern midlands, central highlands and northwestern highlands of Kenya to select cultivars that are more adaptable in each region. The eight Urochloa cultivars; U. brizantha cvs. Marandu, Xaraes, Piatã, MG4, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. humidicola cvs. Llanero and Humidicola, and U. hybrid cv. Mulato …

Milk Yield Of Dairy Cattle Fed Common Urochloa Grass In Kenya, R. W. Muinga, Michael N. Njunie, Mwangi Gatheru, Donald M. G. Njarui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Urochloa grass mainly grown in South America, East Asia and Australia has its origin in East and Central Africa. Its success in South America for animal production triggered interest in Kenya where the main forage species Napier grass was threatened by head smut and stunt diseases. Therefore, a study was carried out at Mtwapa research station in the coastal lowlands of Kenya under controlled condition to compare the lactation performance of dairy cattle fed on Urochloa hybrid cv. Mulato II, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs. Piata, MG-4 and Xaraes with Napier grass. An on-farm participatory study was conducted …

Growth And Yield Evaluation Of Urochloa Grass Cultivars In Sub-Humid Region Of Kenya, M. N. Kifuko-Koech, K. W. Ndung’U-Magiroi, M. C. Mutoko, M. Kamidi, Donald M. G. Njarui

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Livestock production in sub humid region of Kenya is constrained by inadequate and low quality pasture. A study was conducted to evaluate growth and productivity of eight improved Urochloa grass cultivars in lower midlands, upper midlands and lower highlands agro-ecological zones (AEZ) in Eldoret, Kitale and Alupe respectively, western Kenya. The grass cultivars were; Urochloa brizantha cvs. Marandu, Xaraes, Piata, and MG-4, U. decumbens, cv. Basilisk, U. humidicola cvs. Humidicola and Llanero and Urochloa hybrid cv. Mulato II. Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Kakamega 1) were included as controls. At establishment …

Feed Intake And Liveweight Gain Of Goats Fed Urochloa Grass, P. M. Ngila, Donald M. G. Njarui, Michael N. Njunie

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Crude protein and digestible dry matter are the most important components of a feed and determine animal performance. The natural pastures in Kenya are prone to great seasonal and spatial fluctuation in both quality and quantity. Consequently, there was need to explore other nutritious alternative feeds. Sixteen growing male Galla goats weighing 10 - 24 kg were used in a twelve weeks feeding trial in the coastal lowlands of Kenya. They were randomly allocated four grass diets consisting of Urochloa brizantha cvs. Piata and MG4, U. hybrid cv. Mulato II and Chloris gayana (Rhodes grass), which was used as the …

Climate Smart Urochloa Grasses Improves Soil Health In The Semi-Arid Tropics Of Kenya, Elias M. Gichangi, Donald M. G. Njarui, Mwangi Gatheru

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The measurement of soil aggregates stability and soil microbial biomass can be used as an early indicator of long-term changes in soil quality. A study was conducted to quantify the amounts of shoots and roots biomass of Urochloa grass cultivars (commonly known as Brachiaria) and their effects on changes in the size distribution and stability of soil aggregates and on microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a structurally unstable sandy loam soil at Ithookwe and Katumani in semi-arid tropical Kenya. The Urochloa grass cultivars included Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs Marandu, MG-4, Piatã and …

Warm-Season Legumes – Challenges And Constraints To Adapting Warm-Season Legumes To Transition Zone Climates With Examples From Arachis, G. M. L. Assis, José C. B. Dubeux Jr.

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grass pastures in monoculture are the predominant system in transition zone climates, where warm-season perennial grasses are usually cultivated. Mixed grass-legume pastures are worldwide recognized for having advantages over pure stands, including pasture longevity, N input from biological fixation, efficient nutrient cycling, and greater animal production. The genus Arachis encompasses important and successful warm-season forage legume species cultivated in mixed pastures or in pure stands. Arachis pintoi and Arachis glabrata are potential tropical forage species that can be used in transition zone climates. Mixed pastures with these legumes have been shown to be resilient systems, able to withstand short-term perturbations, …

Temperate/Tropical Transition Zones: A Hotspot For Breeding Forages With Climate Resiliency, Kenneth H. Quesenberry, Esteban F. Rios, Kevin E. Kenworthy

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Species resiliency to climate change is critical for sustainability of grassland agricultural systems. Transition zones between temperate and tropical climates (between 27 and 31° N and S latitude) with variable annual frost/freeze events have proven to be ideal zones for identification of species with variable climate adaptation. This paper will identify these regions around the globe and show how these regions offer distinct advantages in terms of selection for abiotic and biotic stresses, and thus resiliency to changing climate. Programs located in these regions have the advantage of exposure to alternating extreme warm and cold temperatures, drought and flood conditions, …

Moving Warm-Season Forage Bermudagrass (Cynodon Sp.) Into Temperate Regions Of North America, W. F. Anderson, L. Baxter, D. Hancock, R. N. Gates, Esteban F. Rios

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Warm-season (C4) perennial grasses are grown over millions of hectares in the Southeastern United States. These grasses produce optimal growth at 30 to 38°C diurnal temperature. Bermudagrass (Cynodon sp.) has been adopted as the preferred forage for many livestock and hay producers. Compared to other native and introduced warm-season perennial grass species, improved bermudagrass varieties produce high biomass with enhanced digestibility for ruminant grazing or feed. Until the 1930’s pastures in the region consisted of unimproved ‘common’ bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) that had been introduced earlier. However, in the early 20^th century, new germplasm, including stargrass …

Breeding Perennial Warm-Season Grasses For The Subtropical Belt In South America, Carlos A. Acuña

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Perennial warm-season grasses share several agronomic characteristics, such as marked seasonal growth, cold susceptibility and photoperiod sensitivity. Breeding efforts in South America have been focused on attempting to improved cool-season growth, cold tolerance and also adaptation to the alternation of flooding and drought periods. Warm-season grasses also have in common that most of them are polyploid and some have very low fertility. Apomixis is also a common trait among these species. For polyploid species with limited seed yield, which commonly have stolons or rhizomes, F₁ hybrids are created and released as cultivars. Acroceras macrum and Hemarthria altissima will be …

Breeding Cows Body Condition And Dry Matter Availability In Natural Pastures Under Rotational System, Dinah Pereira Rodrigues, Giuliano Teixeira Da Silva, Paulo Elias Borges Rodrigues, Alex Fabiano Fernandes Gomes, Gustavo Kruguer Gonçalves, Leonardo De Melo Menezes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The livestock production in Rio Grande do Sul is based on natural pastures, which suffer great productive seasonality throughout the year, especially due to the quantitative and qualitative deficit that it goes through in the winter months. The existing dynamic between the animal and the forage is fundamental for a better reproductive performance of the brood cows, and consequently an increase of the productivity of beef cattle. The calf herd generation is, certainly, the fundamental element of the full cycle livestock. Knowing the potentiality and understanding the dynamism of the natural fields is a fundamental condition for the choice of …

Linking Demand With Supply For Tropical Forage Genetic Resources To Reach Impact At Scale, M. Peters, S. Burkart, U. Ohmstedt, C. Castiblanco, E. Stern, A. Nicolayevsky, K. Enciso, M. Díaz, S. Mwendia, S. Douxchamps, A. O. Notenbaert, B. Lukuyu, K. Fuglie

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Over the last decades a wealth of information on tropical forage genetic resources has been collated and is accessible to users ranging from farmers, development practitioners and researchers to decision makers and academia, e.g. through online tools such as Tropical Forages: An interactive selection tool (www.tropicalforages.info). However, while genetic diversity is being conserved by international gene banks, adoption of improved tropical forages is still far from reaching its full potential. Major bottlenecks in our view include lack of awareness of available forage genetic resources, confirmation of adaptation in a wide range of bio-physical, socio-economic, political and cultural contexts …

Rebuilding A Tropical Forages For The Future Network – A Call For Resuscitating Enthusiasm For A Commodity With Great Prospects And Innovation Potential, B. C. Pengelly, B. L. Maass

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A series of Forages for the Future newsletters, outlining some of the latest tropical and subtropical forage (TSTF) research and development impacts and expertise, has been published since 2016. Amongst the research highlights were Brazilian scientists’ focus on grasses such as Urochloa, Megathyrsus maximus, Paspalum and Cenchrus purpureus, and on legumes, especially Arachis and Stylosanthes. Argentinian researchers are similarly targeting Acroceras macrum and Setaria sphacelata; while Indian and ILRI (East Africa) researchers are using plant breeding to overcome disease constraints in Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus and associated hybrids). Also demonstrated were successfully using genetic …

Future Generations – Will Any Be Lacking Tropical Forage Genetic Resources?, B. L. Maass, B. C. Pengelly

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It’s high time to stop talking about the (forage) plants and talk about the people. Three (Australia, India, USA) of the about a dozen curators of tropical and subtropical forage (TSTF) genetic resources collections involved in developing a Global Strategy on Conservation and Utilization of Tropical and Subtropical Forage Genetic Resources on behalf of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in 2015 have since retired. In all cases their replacements were not expert in this challenging commodity. Why? The commodity is highly diverse and requires understanding of a substantial body of knowledge generated over more than five decades. It requires a …

Forage Genetic Resources In Brazil, Liana Jank, Mateus F. Santos, Cacilda B. Do Valle, Sanzio C. L. Barrios, Rosangela M. Simeão

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To maintain the largest herd in the world, 214 million heads of beef cattle grazing exclusively on pastures (only 14% finished in feed-lots), Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in Brazil, has intensely invested on forage breeding programs since the 1980s. Nowadays, there are circa thirteen forage grass and legume species being bred at different Embrapa Units around the country and other six Units focusing on collection and research of regional native forages. Breeding depends on good germplasm sources. Therefore, breeding activities in Brazil will remain highly dependent on exotic and native genetic basis maintained in the Germplasm Banks. Despite the …

Forage Production And Utilisation: Forage Production For Improved On-Farm Wealth And Wellness, John Caradus

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

It is often overlooked that the world’s largest agricultural land use by far is grassland, where these are mostly grazed by livestock, either domesticated or wild animals. Native grasslands are referred to as savanna (in Africa), steppe (in sub- Artic Eurasia), prairie (in North America), or pampas (in South America). Grasslands contribute to the livelihoods of more than 800 million people (FAO 2000). Native grasslands are maintained by restricted rainfall that reduces the opportunity for succession by forest. Grasslands are not only food for livestock, but also provide a habitat for wildlife, prevent soil erosion, support pollinators, and capture carbon …

Sustainable Use Of Grassland Resources For Improved Livelihoods, Liana Jank, Cacilda Borges Do Valle, Rosangela Maria Simeão, Roberto Giolo De Almeida, Mateus Figueiredo Santos, Sanzio Carvalho Barrios

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands occupy about 80% of global agricultural land and represent a wide range of ecosystems (Bosi et al., 2020). Pastureland represents approximately 889 million ha in Africa, followed by China (~506 million ha), Oceania (~345 million ha), Asia (~307 million ha, excluding China and India), United States (~252 million ha) and Brazil (~149 million ha) (Goldewijk et al. 2017; Bosi et al. 2020; Landau et al., 2020). Rangelands alone are the world largest land surface, and in 28 countries they represent more than 60 percent of total land area (FAO, 2009). The livelihoods of almost one billion people depend on …

Exploring The Information Base Needed For Sustainable Management Of Rangeland Resources For Improved Livelihoods, K. I. Johnsen, M. Niamir-Fuller, A. Bensada, A. Waters-Bayer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Pastoralism is one of the most sustainable production systems worldwide and plays a major role in safeguarding ecosystem services and biodiversity in rangelands. The unique biological and cultural diversity of rangelands contributes to goods, services and knowledge that benefit humans also beyond the herding communities.

Yet data currently available on grassland, forestry, agriculture and livestock are inadequate for informing policymaking on rangeland-based livestock systems. A review of global environmental assessments, online databases, peer-reviewed literature and international project documents showed that available information seldom disaggregates rangelands from other ecosystems or pastoralists from other rural dwellers. Few peer-reviewed publications address pastoral and …

Environmental Factors Effect On Rangeland Plant Diversity In Al Sabaloga Area, Sudan, Salma Abdelghaffar Hassan Alamin, Hala Ahamed Hassan

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The study was conducted in AL Elsabaloga area in Sudan in 2017. This study aimed to assess environmental and biotic factor effects on rangeland plant diversity in the study area. A total sample size of 130 was chosen randomly to collect primary data. The data were coded, summarized, tabulated and processed. Analysis was conducted using (SPSS) computer program. The results were presented in the form of a frequency distribution. There were many problem effects on Rangeland plant diversity. Among these were floods (P < 0.01), expansion of agriculture (P < 0.01), over grazing (P < 0.01), drought, sand marching and desertification (P < 0.01), insect (P < 0.01). In addition, disappear of some plant and appear invader plant. The study was concluded expansion of agriculture, seasonal fire, overgrazing, drought, sand marching and desertification are important factors that effect on plant diversity in the study area. The study recommended protection of rangeland needs to be by improvement of the extension services, management of rangeland through opening of fire lines. Development and improvement, plant diversity and demarcation of routes relevant ministries is essential.

Collective Approach Of Rural Development: Case Study Of “Maronna Foundation” In The Pampa Bioma, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, Adriana Ferreira Da Costa Vargas, Vicente Celestino Pires Silveira

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The Maronna Foundation was created in the 1980s by two brothers who were heirless farmers. After a visit to Massey University, New Zealand, they decided to use their fortune to support rural farming in the Brazilian Pampa through an agropastoral institute. Over the last four decades, the foundation has developed diverse research, education, and extension projects in partnership with local, regional, national, and international institutions, especially universities, research centers, non-governmental organizations and local governances. Recent surveys conducted in the area of the Maronna Foundation demonstrate the interest of local breeders in technologies applied to farming systems, mainly for rangeland and …