Farmer‐participatory evaluation of summer feeding strategies in Afghanistan:growth of cow‐calf pairs grazing native pasture supplemented with oil‐seed cake

摘要

In Afghanistan, cattle are important for land cultivation and milk production, with dung as a valuable by‐product for soil fertility maintenance or as fuel ( Thieme, 2000).Native pastures and crop residues, supplemented with fresh fodder crops, hay from fodder crops, agricultural by‐products, and concentrates are the major feed resources.A recent village survey in Baghlan province, northern Afghanistan showed that farmers give different amounts of home‐produced or purchased concentrates such as cotton ( CSC) or flax ( FSC) seed cake as supplement to cows and non‐weaned calves ( cow‐calf pairs) grazing native pastures during the spring and summer seasons.There is no quantitative data on the effect of oil‐seed cake supplementation on performance of grazing cattle in Afghanistan.Farmer‐participatory trials were, therefore, conducted to determine the effect of supplementing different levels of CSC or FSC on growth rate of cow‐calf pairs grazing native pastures as part of the project on.Improved rural incomes from better forage production and sales of milk products.funded by United Kingdom.s Department for International Development (DFID).