Get reliable rangeland science

The International Livestock Research Institute is promoting cultivation and processing of Mucuna pruriens as a climate-smart fodder which can produce cost-effective feed supplements for livestock on communal rangelands in semi-arid Zimbabwe, to de-risk and improve sustainability of livestock production during droughts. Commercial supplements are generally ex pensive and not readily accessible to agro-pastoralists. Home-mixed Mucuna-based supplements can be nutrient-dense and effective. In a seven-week on-farm trial, Mucuna hay (MH) reduced weight loss in mature Matebele goats, though its effectiveness was inferior to Bambara nut hay and dried groundnut haulms (P<0.05). Goats averaging 28.2kg body weight (BW) and grazing solely on rangeland lost-66g head-1 day-1, while those fed 1:2 MH: maize stover (MS), 1:2 Bambara nut hay: MS and 1:2 groundnut haulm: MS at 1% body weight during evenings only achieved-5g, 54g and 63g head-1 day-1 average daily weight gain (ADWG), respectively at the peak of 2022 dry season. This showed that farmers can maintain goats on MH. East Africa-type does (±25kg BW) supplemented with 45g head-1 day-1 of coarsely ground Mucuna pods (shell + kennel) at night-time during the 2021 dry season gained even more (150-270g head-1 day-1), proving that pods are a richer supplement. Efforts were made to combine Mucuna with other local nutrient-dense feeds and forages to diversify the range of supplementary feeds and so improve accessibility. O n-farm demonstrations conducted over a six-week period in 2022 showed that home-mixed rations (21.9 and 21.4% CP) of (i) Mucuna grain (MG) + Lablab purpureus hay (LpH) and (ii) MG + LpH + Sorghum vulgare grain fed to Matebele goats at 1% of body weight increased ADWG to 50g and 70g head-1 day-1, respectively. These results led ILRI and national partners to officially register three marketable supplements for goats and sheep in April 2024.