The role of pastures and forage crops in agricultural diversification
1988
Proverbs, G. (West Indies Univ., Cave Hill (Barbados). CARDI)
The majority of Barbadian farmers have tended to rely on commercial concentrates to supply the nutrients required by their animals to produce meat or milk. In the 1950's, Pangola (Digitaria decumbens) was introduced to the region and this set the stage for livestock farmers to begin thinking of grass as a crop. Then in the 1970's other species of grass such as Giant African star (Cynodom plectostachyus), Guinea (Panicum maximum) were being planted in addition to Pangola. At about the same time many of the native legumes were being evaluated for their suitability in livestock systems. CARDI's work in Antigua showed that Lucaena (Lucaena leucocephala) was a very versatile legume suitable for grazing in intensive and extensive systems. Furthermore, the twining legumes Siratro/Mexican Macro (Macropilum atropurpureum), Glycine (Neonotonia wightii) and Teramnus (Teramnus labialis) were capable of producing 25 - 30 percent of the forage component in grass/legume associated pastures. Over the past eight years, 21 Barbadian farmers have established or renovated over 320ha of pastures using forage species most suitable for grass/legume associated pastures and pure stands for hay or green chopped production.
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