Status of fodder production and conservation, and effect of grass-legume silage on milk production in Burundi

Abstract

As Burundi adopted the zero-grazing policy, fodder scarcity remained prevalent, especially during the dry season. This study assessed fodder production and conservation practices among smallholder dairy farmers and determined effective feeding strategies for improving milk production in the lmbo plain of Burundi. To achieve this, a survey was conducted with 384 smallholders’ dairy farmers beneficiaries of the PRDAIGL project. It evaluated fodder production and conservation practices in the lmbo plain region. To identify the best feeding strategy for increasing milk yield, livestock feed was improved using a mixture of grass-legume silages. A feeding experiment was conducted over a period of 28days using nine randomly selected lactating cows at Randa public farm. Survey data were processed using IBM SPSS statistics version 20. Descriptive statistics were applied to analysis numerical data,while cross- tabulation was used for categorical variables. Experimental data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using R software version 4.4.1 to evaluate differences among means. Fresh and ensiled fodder, along with milk samples were examined for their proximate nutrient content. The assessment of the effect of the mixture of Cenchrus purpureus (Napier grass)- Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) silage and Maize stalk -Velvet bean silage on body weight change, milk production, and milk composition was also evaluated. The results showed low adoption of fodder conservation (38.00°/0), with silage making at only 1%. The DM and CP were higher in Cenchrus purpureus- Velvet bean silage than in Maize stalk -Velvet bean silage. However, the Crude fiber, Ash, and Crude Fat were higher in Maize stalk -Velvet bean silage compared to Cenchrus purpureus-Velvet bean silage. Milk yield showed significant variation between the treatment groups,with cows receiving the Maize stalk- Velvet bean silage producticing more milk(7.53il.52 kg) than those fed the Cenchms purpureus-velvet bean silage(5.36il.07 kg). Significante difference(P<0.05) were noted in solid not fat (SNF), lactose, and salt concentration in the milk whereas Fat and Protein content did not differ significantly (P>0.05) among the groups. The study concluded that, the low adoption of fodder conservation resulted to the lack of knowledge which was associated with low education level of smallholder dairy farmers, which led to issues adoption of innovations and technology related to animal nutrition The study concluded also thatthe increase in milk production and quality depends on the improvement of the nutritive value of feed, and the incorporation of grasses and legumes (80%-20%) and their conservation in the form of silage increased milk production, affect milk composition, and body weight change for dairy cows