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Farmers knowledge in the utilisation of indigenous browse species for feeding livestock in Kweneng district of Botswana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

A A Aganga*
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
O R Madibela
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
U J Omphile
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
K Tshireletso
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
P Kwgatalala
Affiliation:
Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana
*
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Extract

Farming systems in Botswana can be divided into two, subsistence and commercial. Most livestock producers are smallholder farmers, who do not have concentrate feedstuffs that could be used for supplementation during the extended dry seasons. Browse plants in genera Acacia, Boscia, Combretum, Grewia are valuable resources for smallholder farmers because they are rich in proteins and minerals (Aganga et al., 2001). However there are some browse plants that have anti nutritional chemicals e.g. tannins, which decrease availability of protein. Some are known to have medicinal properties for example Acacia trees. Farmer’s knowledge has been there for a long time, and this research aims at finding out what oral tradition knows that has never been documented. The bank of indigenous knowledge in livestock and local feed resources such as browses when harnessed, adapted and utilized can improve the lives of local communities. The objectives of this study is to document Kweneng farmer’s knowledge of browses species fed to livestock.

Type
Poster presentations
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 The American Society of International Law

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References

Aganga, A.A., Omphile, U.J. and Baleseng, L. (2001) Performance of Tswana goats fed Acacia melifera, Euclea undulata, and Peltophorum Africanum as a supplement to buffel grass. Arhivos de zootecnia 50: 383-386 Google Scholar