Bamboo Leaves: Hope for Dry Season Ruminant Livestock Production in Ghana

Sasu, Prince; Attoh-Kotoku, Victoria; Anim-Jnr, Antoinette Simpah; Osafo, E.L.K.; Adjei‐Mensah, Benjamin; Kwaku, Michael; Tankouano, Rachida Adjima; Mintah, Frank Kweku

doi:10.5281/zenodo.6760039

Cited by 3 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…The lower CP levels in the grasses compared to the bamboo leaves suggest that the grasses may not be able to support high levels of animal productivity during the dry season without adequate protein supplementation. On the other hand, comparable to previous studies on similar bamboo species in the same ecological zone (Sasu et al, 2022(Sasu et al, , 2023, the CP levels of the bamboo leaves were found to be consistent. This suggests that bamboo leaves could be a reliable source of fodder for ruminants across dry seasons when the quality of grasses usually decreases, and feed scarcity is eminent.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Furthermore, the authors noted that the fiber concentrations in the bamboo leaves were higher than those reported by Sasu et al (2022) for similar bamboo species examined during the rainy season in the same geographical area. This discrepancy can be attributed to seasonality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…The bamboo leaves appeared to have a higher mean digestible dry matter compared to their grass counterparts, estimated at 57.5% and 52.9%, respectively. However, the value was notably lower than the mean value of 68.8% estimated for similar bamboo species in the same ecological zone during the rainy season reported by Sasu et al (2022). This nutritional variation may be due to seasonal differences, as Agrovets Consultancy (1989) noted that the nutritional content of natural range fodders is often highest at the beginning of the rainy season and rapidly declines during the dry season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…Bamboo leaves are particularly promising as a feed source for ruminant livestock during the dry season in Ghana, as they can withstand drought conditions better than most pasture grasses. In fact, bamboo leaves have been referred to as the "hope" for dry season ruminant livestock production in Ghana (Sasu et al, 2022). Mammalian herbivores, including ruminant animals, commonly exhibit dietary diversity (Distel et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite these promising attributes of bamboo plants and their consistent supply of edible leaves especially during the dry season as noted by Antwi-Boasiako et al (2011), INBAR (2019, Sasu et al (2022Sasu et al ( , 2023, the use of bamboo leaves as animal feed is still in its infancy in most parts of Africa, and specifically, it has not gained much popularity in Ghana. There is, therefore, a need for more research to be conducted on the feasibility of using them as a source of animal feed in different ecological zones in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparative nutritional evaluation of the leaves of selected plants from the Poaceae family (bamboos and grasses) for sustainable livestock production in Ghana

Sasu

Attoh-Kotoku

Anim-Jnr

et al. 2023

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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BackgroundSustainable animal feeding is essential for reducing poverty among Ghanaian smallholder livestock farmers. However, seasonality has a severe impact on the availability and quality of conventional animal feedstuffs, necessitating alternate feed sources.ObjectiveThis study evaluated and compared the nutritional characteristics of the leaves of three bamboo species namely; Bambusa balcooa (Beema), Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A. Rich.) Munro and Bambusa vulgaris; and three conventional types of grass, namely; Cenchrus purpureus, Megathyrsus maximus, and Brachiaria decumbens.Materials and methodsThe plant biomasses were subjected to the standard analytical procedures of proximate and detergent fiber systems to highlight their dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), ash, nitrogen-free extract (NFE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL). Other nutritional characteristics were estimated using the chemical compositions.Statistical analysisData was analyzed using Generalized Linear Model procedures in Minitab Statistical Software at a 5% significant level.ResultsResults showed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher DM (~918 g/kgDM), CP (~153 g/kgDM), and EE (~153 g/kgDM) in B. vulgaris leaves. O. abyssinica leaves had the maximum ash (~139 g/kgDM) while those of M. maximus had the highest carbohydrate (~709 g/kgDM) and CF (~492 g/kgDM). Compared to the grasses, the bamboo had a higher pool of DM (~910 vs. 836 g/kgDM), CP (~133 vs. 75 g/kgDM), EE (~137 vs. 82 g/kgDM), ash (~134 vs. 89 g/kgDM), hemicellulose (~79 vs. 28 g/kgDM), dry matter intake (~25 vs. 24%), digestible dry matter (~58 vs. 53%), and relative feed value (~111 vs. 105). In contrast, the grasses had higher mean ADF (~461 vs. 402 g/kgDM), cellulose (~417 vs. 397 g/kgDM), and ADL (~5 vs. 0.4 g/kgDM).ConclusionThe study suggests that bamboo leaves could have high nutritional characteristics to supplement or even replace conventional grasses and other crop residues in the diets of ruminants, especially during the dry season.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparative nutritional evaluation of the leaves of selected plants from the Poaceae family (bamboos and grasses) for sustainable livestock production in Ghana

Sasu

Attoh-Kotoku

Anim-Jnr

et al. 2023

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

2024

Frontiers Research Topics

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Toward smallholder bamboo-integrated agro-silvopastoral systems in sub-Saharan Africa: assessing the impact of bamboo leaves on consumption pattern, growth performance and manure characteristics of West African dwarf goats

Sasu,

Attoh-Kotoku,

Anim-Jnr

et al. 2023

Front. Anim. Sci.

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IntroductionThe selection of appropriate plant species, particularly those tailored to supplement ruminants raised under agrosilvopastoral systems, remains a persistent challenge.ObjectiveIn a 30-day study, the feed intake, growth performance, and manure characteristics of West African dwarf (WAD) goats fed bamboo leaf supplement were evaluated. Materials and methodsA total of 30 animals with an average weight of 9.9 ± 0.21 kg were divided into a control group, and four bamboo-supplemented groups, following a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement within a completely randomized design. Each group had six animal replicates and received the following dietary treatments: T1 (control) – 400g of basal diet composed of 60% Megathyrsus maximus and 40% Bridelia ferruginea leaves per day; T2—basal diet composed of the T1 diet supplemented with 400 g of Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A. Rich.) Munro leaves per day; T3—basal diet composed of the T1 diet supplemented with 400 g of Bambusa balcooa (Beema) leaves per day; T4—basal diet composed of the T1 diet supplemented with 600 g of O. abyssinica (A. Rich.) leaves per day; and T5—basal diet composed of the T1 diet supplemented with 600 g of B. balcooa leaves per day. The data were analyzed using generalized linear model procedures in Minitab Statistical Software at a 5% significance level. ResultsThe results showed varied (p < 0.05) dry matter compositions spanning from 894.3 to 910 g/kg with the highest contents of crude protein (194 g/kg), nitrogen (31 g/kg), crude fibre (302 g/kg), ash (156 g/kg), acid detergent fibre (429 g/kg), and acid detergent lignin (3.6 g/kg) recorded for B. ferruginea. The leaves of Bambusa balcooa contained the highest neutral detergent fibre (481 g/kg) while M. maximus had the highest organic matter content (911 g/kg). Significant interaction effect (p < 0.05) was observed between the supplement type and the supplementation level, impacting various parameters including feed intake ranging from 398 g (T1) to 469 g (T3) per day, weight gain from 27 g (T1) to 72 g (T2) per day, feed conversion efficiency from 6% (T1) to 15% (T2), manure output from 241 g (T2) to 260 g (T5) per day, carbon- nitrogen (C: N) ratio from 9 (T2) to 20 (T5), faecal acidity levels from 4 (T1) to 5 (T4). Comparatively, higher daily dry matter intake was recorded for the animal groups fed the B. balcooa supplement than their counterparts fed the O. abyssinica supplement. However, the O. abyssinica supplemented groups were more efficient in converting feed to body weight, with feed conversion efficiency approximately 9% higher than the B. balcooa-supplemented groups. Furthermore, in general, the animal groups that received a daily supplement of 400 g gave higher feed efficiency, with performance approximately 3.2% higher compared to the groups receiving 600 g. Likewise, these groups displayed higher faecal N output while concurrently achieving a reduced C: N ratio, indicative of enhanced nutrient utilization and potential environmental benefits. ConclusionTo conclude, integrating 400 grams of bamboo leaves into animal diet can enhance basal diet consumption, accelerate animal growth, and yield manure akin to chemical fertilizers, making it a valuable strategy for bamboo-integrated agro-silvopastoral systems practitioners.

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Bamboo Leaves: Hope for Dry Season Ruminant Livestock Production in Ghana

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

Comparative nutritional evaluation of the leaves of selected plants from the Poaceae family (bamboos and grasses) for sustainable livestock production in Ghana

Comparative nutritional evaluation of the leaves of selected plants from the Poaceae family (bamboos and grasses) for sustainable livestock production in Ghana

Sustainable intensification of smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Toward smallholder bamboo-integrated agro-silvopastoral systems in sub-Saharan Africa: assessing the impact of bamboo leaves on consumption pattern, growth performance and manure characteristics of West African dwarf goats

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