Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Senior Secondary 1
Pasture and Forage Crops
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Pasture and Forage Crops
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Subject: Agricultural Science
Class: Senior Secondary 1
Term: 3rd Term
Week: 3
Theme: Crop Production
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Explain the meaning of pasture and for age crops. state uses of for age crops List types of pasture and characteristics of each type. Identify the main pasture grasses and legume species in Nigeria. Identify the factors affecting the ir distribution, establishment and management.
Pasture: Definition: Pasture refers to an area of land covered with herbaceous vegetation (mainly grasses, legumes, and other broadleaf plants) that is used for grazing livestock suchas cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. It is essentially a field where animals feed directly on the plants.
Characteristics: It can be natural (rangeland) or cultivated (sown pasture). Livestock harvest the feed themselves by grazing. Often managed to sustain continuous or rotational grazing. Examples in Nigeria include the vast savanna grasslands used by nomadic Fulani pastoralists for their cattle, or cultivated fields of Guinea grass and Centrosema near livestock farms.
Forage Crops: Definition: Forage crops are herbaceous plants that are grown, harvested, and then fed to livestock. Unlike pasture, forage crops are cut and transported to the animals, rather than the animals grazing directly on them. They can be fed fresh (green chop) or preserved (hay, silage).
Characteristics: Purposefully cultivated for animal feed. Requires harvesting (manual or mechanical). Can be preserved for future use, especially during dry seasons when fresh forage is scarce. Examples in Nigeria include fields of Elephant grass cut for zero-grazing dairy cattle, or Stylosanthes harvested and sun-dried to make hay.
Distinction: The key difference lies in the method of harvesting. Pasture is grazed directly by animals, while forage crops are harvested by humans for animal consumption. Often, plants suitable for pasture are also excellent forage crops when cut. Forage crops are highly versatile and play several crucial roles in agriculture and environmental management in Nigeria: Primary Source of Animal Feed: This is the most significant use. Forage crops provide essential nutrients (carbohydrates for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals) required for the growth, maintenance, reproduction, and production (milk, meat, wool) of livestock. They form the bulk of the diet for ruminants.
Nigerian Context:* In the dry season, when natural pastures become scarce and low in nutritive value, harvested forage (e.g., hay from Gamba grass or silage from maize stover) becomes critical for sustaining livestock.
Hay Making: Forage crops are harvested, sun-dried to reduce moisture content (typically to below 20%), and then stored. Hay serves as a preserved feed source, particularly vital during dry seasons or periods of feed scarcity.
Nigerian Context:* Grasses like Rhodes grass, Gamba grass, and legumes like Stylosanthes are commonly used for hay production by commercial farmers and government livestock development initiatives.
Silage Making: This involves fermenting chopped green forage crops under anaerobic conditions (without oxygen) to preserve their nutritive value. Silage is a moist, palatable, and highly nutritious feed.
Nigerian Context:* Maize, sorghum, and Elephant grass are frequently ensiled in Nigeria, especially by larger dairy farms and feedlot operations to provide consistent high-quality feed year-round.
Erosion Control and Soil Conservation: The extensive root systems of many forage grasses and legumes help bind soil particles, preventing soil erosion caused by wind and water, especially on sloping lands. They also provide ground cover, protecting the soil from direct impact of rainfall.
Nigerian Context:* Planting forage crops on degraded lands or as cover crops in orchards helps stabilize soil, particularly in areas prone to gully erosion in the South-East or wind erosion in the North.
Soil Fertility Improvement: Leguminous forage crops (e.g., Centrosema, Stylosanthes, Lablab) have root nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Rhizobium). These bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants, thereby enriching the soil with nitrogen. When these legumes are incorporated into the soil, they act as green manure.
Nigerian Context:* Incorporating legumes into crop rotation or using them as intercrops improves soil nitrogen for subsequent food crops, reducing reliance on expensive synthetic fertilizers.
Fodder Banks: These are small, intensively managed plots of high-quality forage (often legumes like Leucaena or Stylosanthes) established near homesteads or grazing areas. They serve as strategic feed reserves, especially for supplementary feeding during the dry season or for specific animal groups (e.g., lactating cows).
Nigerian Context:* Fodder banks are increasingly promoted by agricultural extension services to help sedentary livestock farmers provide consistent protein-rich feed, particularly in the Mambilla Plateau or Benue state.
Weed Control: Dense stands of vigorous forage crops can suppress weed growth, acting as a natural weed control measure in a cropping system, particularly in rotational farming. Pastures can be broadly classified based on their origin, duration, and management intensity.
Natural Pasture (Rangeland): Definition: These are uncultivated lands covered with naturally occurring grasses, legumes, and other herbaceous plants that serve as feed for livestock. They are not sown but grow spontaneously.
Characteristics: Species Diversity: Usually comprises a wide variety of plant species, both palatable and unpalatable, responding to local ecological conditions.
Low Productivity: Generally lower yield per unit area compared to cultivated pastures due to lack of specific management and dominance of less productive species.
Seasonal Availability: Plant growth and quality are highly dependent on natural rainfall patterns, leading to periods of abundance (wet season) and scarcity (dry season).
Extensive Management: Requires minimal human intervention, often managed through control of stocking rates or transhumance (seasonal movement of livestock).
Nigerian Context:* The vast savanna zones of Northern and Central Nigeria (Sudan, Sahel, Guinea savannas) are typical natural pastures, heavily utilized by nomadic pastoralists.
Permanent Pasture: Definition: These are cultivated pastures established by sowing desirable species of grasses and/or legumes, designed to remain productive for many years (more than 5 years).
Characteristics: Sown Species: Composed of specifically chosen, high-yielding, and nutritious forage species.
Higher Productivity: Much higher yield and quality than natural pastures due to improved species and intensive management.
Intensive Management: Requires regular inputs such as fertilization, weed control, occasional reseeding, and controlled grazing (e.g., rotational grazing).
Long-term Establishment: Once established, they are maintained for a long period, reducing the need for frequent replanting.
Nigerian Context:* Commercial livestock farms or government ranches often establish permanent pastures using species like Guinea grass and Centrosema for higher productivity.
Temporary Pasture (Ley Pasture): Definition: These are pastures established for a relatively short period (typically 1-3 years) as part of a crop rotation system. After serving as pasture, the land is ploughed and used for arable crops.
Characteristics: Crop Rotation: Integrates livestock and crop production, benefiting both. The pasture phase improves soil structure and fertility (especially with legumes) for subsequent crops.
Short Duration: Occupies the land for a few years, then rotated with other crops.
High Quality Feed: Often sown with highly palatable and nutritious species, providing excellent feed during its short tenure.
Soil Improvement: Crucial for restoring soil organic matter, nitrogen (if legumes are included), and breaking pest/disease cycles of arable crops.
Nigerian Context:* A farmer might plant a mixture of Stylosanthes and Rhodes grass for two years to feed livestock, then plough it under to plant maize or yam, benefiting from improved soil fertility.
Fodder Banks: Definition: Small, strategically located plots of high-yielding, high-quality forage species (predominantly legumes) grown to provide supplementary feed, especially during periods of scarcity.
Characteristics: Small Area: Typically less than 1 hectare.
High Nutrient Concentration: Usually focuses on protein-rich legumes.
Intensive Management: Requires careful cultivation, fertilization, and harvesting.
Strategic Use: Harvested and fed to specific animal categories or during critical periods (e.g., dry season, lactation).
Nigerian Context:* A farmer might establish a fodder bank of Leucaena or Gliricidia near their pens to provide supplementary protein for their goats and sheep during the long dry season in Northern Nigeria. Nigeria's diverse agro-ecological zones support a variety of important pasture and forage species.
Connecting the topic to real-life situations helps students appreciate its relevance and practical value in Nigeria. Sustainable Livestock Production and Food Security: Application: Understanding pasture and forage crops is crucial for improving animal nutrition, which directly translates to increased milk, meat, and egg production. This helps reduce reliance on expensive concentrate feeds and supports the livelihoods of millions of Nigerian livestock farmers (e.g., diary farmers, goat and sheep rearers). Effective forage management during the dry season, through hay or silage, ensures continuous feed availability, preventing significant weight loss or death of animals, especially for pastoralists in the North.
Integration: Students can relate this to the challenge of seasonal feed scarcity faced by Fulani herdsmen and how cultivated forages offer a sustainable solution to mitigate farmer-herder clashes arising from competition for grazing land. Environmental Conservation and Soil Health: Application: Pasture and forage crops, particularly their dense root systems, are effective in controlling soil erosion, a major environmental problem in many parts of Nigeria (e.g., gully erosion in the South-East, wind erosion in arid North). Leguminous forage crops naturally enrich the soil with nitrogen, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and improving soil structure, crucial for sustainable arable farming.
Integration: Discuss how planting legumes like Centrosema on degraded land or as cover crops in cassava farms can rehabilitate the soil, improve subsequent crop yields, and protect against land degradation.
Agribusiness and Economic Opportunities: Application: The knowledge of cultivating and preserving forage crops opens up entrepreneurial opportunities. Farmers can specialize in commercial production of hay or silage for sale to other livestock farmers, especially in urban and peri-urban areas where land for grazing is scarce. The processing and packaging of forage products can create jobs and contribute to the agricultural economy.
Integration: Students can consider the business potential of establishing a "Fodder Bank" business in their community, growing high-demand forage like Leucaena or Lablab to sell to local small ruminant farmers during the dry season, generating income and addressing a critical local need. ---