www.ciat.cgiar.org on-farm niches for (forage) legumes – some ideas birthe k. paul (ciat kenya)...
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www.ciat.cgiar.org
On-farm niches for (forage) legumes – some ideas
Birthe K. Paul (CIAT Kenya)
LegumeCHOICE project meeting, 12th of January 2015
Background
Forage legume technologies• Legumes are ‘picky’
regarding agroecology (altitude, rainfall, soil fertility) – site specific
• Research existing on: researcher managed on-station and on-farm trials, agronomic and participatory evaluations
• Very diverse in terms of annual/perennial, nutritive value, seed production, shade tolerance, biomass production, growth behavior etc. -> fit different niches
Clitoria
Vigna
Desmodium
Stylosanthes
Canavalia
Lablab
1. Grazing communal
3. Semi-zero grazing2. Grazing private
4. Zero grazing low input
Level of intensification
Grazing
Crop residues
Planted fodder
Supplements
Opportunistic feed
Rel
ativ
e us
e of
fee
d
Cut-carryTethered
Cut-carryGrazed
5. Zero grazing commercial
Different interests, constraints and needs! Land, cash, soil fertility, market opportunities, soil erosion etc.
– Herbaceous and dual-purpose legumes in fodder banks
– In rotation and improved fallow for reducing pest/disease pressure and land rehabilitation
– Live barriers/fences – e.g. Napier, Bracharia, Leucaena
– Under-story in plantations such as banana or eucalyptus – e.g. Stylosantes, Desmodium uncinatum
– Intercropping with food crops (maize) for improved soil fertility and protection and weed suppression (e.g push-pull system)
– Anti-erosive grass strips, e.g. on terraces
– Etc….. Many options to fit legume
into system, but little systematic guidance
System integration options
Niche study DRC
Livestock and feeding systems – Sud-Kivu, DRC
S. Bacigale, B.K. Paul, et al. (2014), Tropical Grasslands
• Local forage inventory and Feed Assessment Study (FEAST) in August 2012
• Shortage of quantity and quality of feed in the dry season
• Only 37% of farmers cultivate forages, contributing 6% to animals’ diets
Potential for intensification, but small land sizes are a challenge
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
Jun
e
July
Augu
st
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Dec
embe
r
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0
1
2
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4
5
(a)
Others
Legume residues
Green forage
Grazing
Crop residues
Concentrates
Rainfall Pattern
• Grazing and collection of roadside grasses constitute main feeding system
• Local forages have low feeding quality• Ruminants mostly grazed, small
monogastric livestock fed with collected and cultivated fodder
Agronomic evaluation
F. Muhimuzi, B.K. Paul et al. (2014), AACAA conference paper
Varieties Sites
Muhongoza Nyacibimba Kamanyola Tubimbi
DM yield Canavalia 3.2 2.1 6.9 1.5
(t ha-1) Silverleaf desmodium 2.6 5.4 6.1 0.3
Stylo 4.2 1.6 6.7 2.1
ANOVA
Variety P=0.63ns
Site P<0.001***
Variety*Site P=0.002**
Plant height (cm) Canavalia 48.4 36.9 45.7 40.4
Silverleaf desmodium 27.6 61.7 53.3 15.1
Stylo 42.3 30.9 53.1 41.4
ANOVA
Variety P=0.32ns
Site P<0.001***
Variety*Site P<0.001***
Soil cover (%) Canavalia 86.7 66.7 96.7 68.3 Silverleaf desmodium 66.7 100.0 68.3 16.7
Stylo 65.0 37.5 73.3 63.3
ANOVA
Variety P<0.001***
Site P<0.001***
Variety*Site P<0.001***
1
Niche experimentation- DRC• Legume packages and
grass cuttings were availed to farmers in each Innovation Platform site
• Farmers were invited to integrate freely these materials in the cropping system
• They agreed to pass on planting materials
F. Muhimuzi, B.K. Paul et al. (2014), AACAA conference paper
F. Muhimuzi, B.K. Paul et al. (2014), AACAA conference paper
Niches depend on land availability, tenure, livestock system, topography
M W M W M W M WMuhongoza Nyacibimba Kamanyola Tubimbi
0
20
40
60
80
100
Legumes Legumes and grassesGrasses
%
M W M W M W M WMuhongoza Nyacibimba Kamanyola Tubimbi
0
20
40
60
80
100
Intercropped On field edgesAnti-erosion hedges Pure standUnder trees In banana plantation
%
Site Territoire Altitude (m)
Land size
Soil fertility
Slope (%)
Soil erosion
Muhongoza Kalehe 1548 Medium Medium 10-May Medium Nyacibimba Kabare 1955 Medium Low >10 Strong Kamanyola Walungu 940 Small High <5 None Tubimbi Walungu 1100 Medium Low <5 None
1
Ideas for LegumeCHOICE
• Main legume characteristics: annual/perennial; (non)climbing; shrub/herbaceous; (non) soil-covering; (non) tolerant to shade, low soil fertility, waterlogging, low rainfall…
• Main farmer needs: protein, carbohydrates, fuel, biomass, cash, fodder, soil erosion prevention, soil fertility improvement…
• Main farmer limitations: land, cash, labour…