The influence of desmodium and manure on the agronomic performance of fodder plantsin Lushoto District, Tanzania

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE OF SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICUTURE. MOROGORO, TANZANIA.

Animal feed scarcity and mostly the availability of high quality forage, is one of the major limiting factors to dairy productivity improvement in Lushoto District. This is a result of soil fertility losses due to soil erosion, deforestation practices and to the decrease or the abandonment of mineral fertilizer use. Thepresent study was conducted in Ubiri Village, Lushoto District to assess the influence of desmodium and farmyard manure on the agronomic performance of fodder plants species. Two treatments used in this study were; fertility improvement options (with four levels) and fodder plant species (with three levels), which were established using RCBD with three replications. The forage agronomic data collected included counting the number of tillers per bunch, measuring the height of tillers (m), leaf area indices and biomass yield (tha-1) in each treatment in their respective replications. Weather data during crop development were also collected. The results during the third harvest (28 weeks)indicated that; desmodium significantly (P<0.05) increased the biomass yield (tha-1) of the local napier, hybrid napier and hybrid brachiaria grassesby 28.59%, 53.63% and 68.55%, respectively.Farmyard manure during the second harvest (22 weeks)significantly (P<0.05)increased the biomass yield (tha-1)of the local napier, hybrid napier and hybrid brachiaria grasses by 14.16%, 39.89% and 36.5%,respectively. At the age of 28 weeks (third harvest)the combined desmodium and farmyard manure significantly (P<0.05)increased the biomass yield (tha-1) of thelocal napier, hybrid napierand hybrid brachiaria grasses by 50%, 65.16% and 82.20%,respectively.Both desmodium and farmyard manure had positive influence on the agronomic performance of both napier and hybrid brachiaria grasses. Hence, for the smallhoder livestock keepers of Lushoto District to benefit sustainably from growing forage crops in their farms, the integration of either or both desmodium and farmyard manure should be promoted.