Production and utilization of cassava foliage for livestock in integrated farming systems

摘要

AconsiderableamountofnewresearchinformationabouttheuseofcassavafoliageasanimalfeedisbecomingavailablefromongoingresearchinVietnam,ThailandandCambodia.Previously,cassavahasbeencharacterizedasan"exploitive"crop,destructiveofsoilfertility.However,whencassavaisgrownasacomponentofawholefarmingsystem,inwhichlivestockandcropsarecloselyintegrated,itscapacityto"exploit"thenutrientsinlivestockmanurebecomesavaluableasset.Managedasaperennialforage,annualfoliageyieldsequivalenttofourtonnesofproteinperhectarehavebeenobtained,usingheavydressingsofbiodigestoreffluentasfertilizerandwithrepeatedharvestingofthefoliageateightweekintervals.Forcattle,freshcassavafoliagehasbeensuccessfullyfedastheonlyproteinsupplementindietsbasedonricestrawormolasses.Goatsfedcassavafoliageasasupplementhavebeenshowntohavenegligiblenematodeworminfestations.Forpigfeedingtheensiledcassavaleaveshaveahigherdigestibilitywhenthecropismanagedasasemi-perennialforageandharvestedateightweekintervalscomparedwithensiledleavesfromcassavaplantsdestinedforrootproductionandharvestedat8-12months.Recentexperimentalfindingsontheuseofcassavafoliageasaproteinsupplementforpigs,goats,cattleasndbuffaloesareencouragingandlaythebasisforfutureresearchanddevelopmentactivitiesthatpromisetohaveamajorimpactintropicalfarmingsystems..