the Rural Household Multiple Indicator Survey (RHoMIS) is a standardized farm household survey approach which collects information on 758 variables covering household demographics, farm area, crops grown and their production, livestock holdings and their production, agricultural product use and variables underlying standard socioeconomic and food security indicators such as the Probability of Poverty Index, the Household Food Insecurity access Scale, and household dietary diversity. these variables are used to quantify more than 40 different indicators on farm and household characteristics, welfare, productivity, and economic performance. Between 2015 and the beginning of 2018, the survey instrument was applied in 21 countries in Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The data presented here include the raw survey response data, the indicator calculation code, and the resulting indicator values. These data can be used to quantify on-and off-farm pathways to food security, diverse diets, and changes in poverty for rural smallholder farm households.

The effect of replacing commercial supplements with isoenergetic and isonitrogenous velvet bean-, cowpeaand lablab-based supplements on milk yield, milk quality and economic returns in smallholder crossbred dairy cows was investigated in the 2013 and 2014 dry seasons. Using 3 × 3 Latin square designs, nine multiparous Red Dane, Guernsey and Holstein-Friesian crosses in mid-lactation (130 ± 19 d) were offered forage legume-based supplements for 63 d at 0.5 kg per litre of milk produced. Milk quantity and quality were significantly (P < 0.05) different among supplements in both seasons. Cows fed commercial supplements had higher milk yield than cows fed forage legume supplements. Milk fat content was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in cows fed lablabbased supplements than cows fed other supplements. Milk protein, total solids and lactose content of cows fed commercial supplements was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those fed forage legume-based supplements, although protein content was similar to cows fed lablab-based supplements. Dietary gross margins were higher for cows fed velvet bean-and lablab-based supplements by 17% and 16.5%, respectively. Based on supplement, production costs per litre of milk was higher by 28% and 23% using commercial supplements compared to velvet bean and lablab supplements, respectively.

A 6 (accession)×5 (cutting interval) factorial experiment was conducted over two years to investigate the effect of stage of growth on herbage production, nutritive value and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content of Napier grass and Napier grass ×Pearl millet hybrids (hybrid Pennisetum). The purpose of the experiment was to determine the optimum stage of growth to harvest the Pennisetums for ensilage. Two Napier accessions (SDPP 8 and SDPP 19) and four hybrid Pennisetum (SDPN 3, SDPN 29, SDPN 38 and Bana grass) were compared at five harvest intervals (viz. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks). Basal fertilizers were similar in all treatment plots, although nitrogen (N) top-dressing fertilizer was varied proportionately, depending on the harvesting interval. The application was based on a standard rate of 60 kg N/ha every six weeks. Stage of growth had significant effects on forage yield, WSC content and nutritive value of the Pennisetums. Herbage yields increased in a progressively linear manner, with age. Nutritive value declined as the harvesting interval increased. In particular, crude protein content declined rapidly (p<0.001) from 204 g kg -1 DM at 2 weeks to 92 g kg -1 DM at 8 weeks of growth. In vitro dry matter digestibility decreased from 728 to 636 g kg -1 DM, whilst acid and neutral detergent fibre contents increased from 360 and 704 to 398 and 785 g kg -1 DM, respectively. Rapid changes in nutritive value occurred after 6 weeks of growth. The concentration of WSC increased in a quadratic manner, with peaks (136-182 g kg -1 DM) at about 6 weeks. However, the DM content of the forage was low (150-200 g DM kg -1 ) at 6 weeks. Therefore, it was concluded that Pennisetums should be harvested between 6 and 7 weeks, to increase DM content and optimize herbage production without seriously affecting nutritive value and WSC content. Accessions SDPN 29 and SDPP 19 appeared to be most suited for ensilage. It was suggested that WSC content should be incorporated as a criterion in the agronomic evaluation and screening of Pennisetum varieties.

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The economic and performance effect of supplementing smallholder cattle by substituting commercial feed with iso-nitrogenous and iso-energetic diets based on alternative protein sources was investigated in two trials. In trial 1, three diets (commercial concentrate, commercial concentrate partially substituted with mucuna, and commercial concentrate partially substituted with lablab-cowpea) compared with veld grass were allocated to 12 cattle in a complete randomised block design. In trial 2, a double complete randomised block design with 40 cattle assigned to four forage legume-based diets, a poultry-based diet and a commercial beef concentrate was carried out. Diets were offered at 1.5% of body weight daily over 56 d. Average daily weight gain (ADWG) was measured weekly in trial 1 and fortnightly in trial 2. In trial 1, ADWG was significantly (p < 0.05) higher for animals on supplements compared with non-supplemented cattle. In trial 2, ADWG was significantly highest on the groundnut stover-based diet and least on the poultry litter diet. Supplementation had a positive effect on ADWG and economic performance of smallholder beef cattle. Substitution of commercial concentrates with alternative protein sources reduced diet costs and significantly improved gross margins.