Factors influencing adoption of cattle excreta management practices for improved elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) production by smallholder dairy farmers

摘要

Adiagnosticsurveyandparticipatoryon-farmtrialswereconductedamongintensivedairyfarmerstoexaminefactorsthatinfluenceadoptionofcattleexcretamanagementpractices.Managementpracticesofburyingcattleexcretaintrenches,topicalapplicationandthecontrol,wherefarmersdidnotapplyexcretawerecomparedfollowedbyadoptabilityanalysis.Influenceofexcretamanagementpracticesonqualityandquantityofelephantgrasswerestudied.Although98%ofthesampledhouseholdswere5-7peopleormore,72%practicedzero-grazingon2acresorless.Therefore,55%ofthefarmerskeptonly2crossbreddairycowsarguablyproducinglimitedexcretaforfarmuseand78%ofthefarmersproducedlessthan10litresofmilkfromeachcow.Buryingcattleexcretaresultedinhigher(P0.05)drymatter(DM)yieldsof22.4tha-1ofelephantgrassleavescomparedto15.1tha-1and10.5tha-1fromtopicalexcretaapplicationandcontroltreatments,respectively.Althoughcrudeprotein(CPgkg-1)didnotvary(P0.05)withthedifferentcattleexcretamanagementpractices,DMyieldofelephantgrass,itsleaf:stemratioandashweresuperior(P0.05)withtreatmentswheretheexcretawasburied.Whileburyingexcretaimprovedqualityandquantityofelephantgrass,yieldsvariedfromfarmtofarmdependingonthelevelofadoptionofcattleexcretamanagementpractice.Highcost,unfairdivisionoflabouramonggenderandlackofbasicequipmentsuchasspadesandwheelbarrowstocarrytheexcretatoelephantgrassgardensaffectedtheadoptionofcattleexcretamanagementpractices.Themajorcostofproductionamongzero-grazingfarmerswasfeedswhichaccountedfor46.8%oftotalcost,followedbylabour,veterinaryservicesandequipment.Itisconcludedthathighcostsandunfairdivisionoflabouramonggenderaswellaslackofbasicequipmenttotransportexcretainfluencetheadoptionofcattleexcretausebyzero-grazingfarmers.Theseresultsimplythatinterventionsaimedatimprovingelephantgrassproductionbysmallholderdairyfarmerscanonlybesuccessfulifbasicequipmentsthatenhancerecyclingtheexcretaandgenderrolestoreduceondrudgeryoflabourwhichinterfereswiththeadoptionofthecattleexcretamanagementpracticeareaddressed.