What is quality for a ruminant? A short introduction to the meaning of plant chemical composition measurements

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2018) Forage quality and availability for large herbivores in southern African rangelands. In: Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa -assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions (ed. by Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N.), pp. [187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196] Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Rangelands B E 6 2018 187Abstract: In light of the growing human population, the pressure on herbivores (livestock and wild herbivores) will be accelerated, resulting in a need for eff ective land management. To achieve this, information and knowledge about the availability and quality of food resources of large herbivores and possible changes in those resources are a prerequisite.In this chapter, we wil l summarize diff erent projects conducted regarding food availability and quality within SASSCAL.We will give an example of the use of remote sensing as an eff ective tool for measuring food availability and quality on a large scale. Here, we visualize changes in leaf nitrogen concentration and annual grass biomass. In two other projects, we studied diff erent aspects of plant response. In a fence-line study, we investigated the infl uence of overgrazing on the plant quality of grasses. Though we detected positive impacts on plant quality, but due to high grazing pressure, the reduction in biomass resulted in an overall decline in the quality of the overgrazed site. In the other project, we tested the plant response of bush encroacher species to damage by herbivores. In contrast to the grasses of the fence-line study, in the shrub species we observed a tendency for reduced protein concentration. The reduction varied among the diff erent plant species, but it did not have consequences on subsequent consumers (Boer goats). In our last project we focused on the impact of increased temperature and reduced humidity on the plant quality of fi ve grass species. Here, we found a species-specifi c response. We conclude the article with a synthesis and an outline of possible management implications derived from the diff erent studies.Resumo: Devido ao crescimento da população humana, a pressão nos herbívoros (gado e herbívoros selvagens) irá acelerar, resultando na necessidade da gestão efectiva da paisagem. Para atingir este objectivo, é necessário informação e conhecimento sobre a disponibilidade e qualidade dos recursos alimentares de grandes herbívoros, e possíveis alterações.Neste capítulo, resumimos diferentes projectos realizados dentro do tópico da disponibilidade e qualidade de alimento no contexto do SASSCAL. Daremos um exemplo de detecção remota como uma ferramenta útil para a medição da disponibilidade e qualidade do alimento em grande escala. Aqui, visualizamos alterações das concentrações de azoto foliar e da biomassa anual das gramíneas. Em dois outros projectos, estudámos diferentes aspectos da resposta de plantas. Num estudo de cercas, investigámos a infl uência do pastoreio excessivo na qualidade da...

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, our point of view on quality is driven mainly by overall general patterns but might not necessarily fi t to the preferred food of a given herbivore (see also 'What Is Quality for a Ruminant? ', Stolter, 2018).…”

Section: B E 6 2018 189mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage quality and availability for large herbivores in southern African rangelands

Stolter¹,

Ramoelo²,

Kesch³

et al. 2018

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“…For detailed description of these parameters, refer to the info box "What Is Quality for a Ruminant?" by Stolter (2018). Lablab purpureus is a common fodder crop among small-scale livestock farmers in southern Africa and therefore was used as a control.…”

Section: Chemical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, wild legumes have also been observed to contain condensed tannins (CT). Compounds such as condensed tannins, alkaloids, and saponins, commonly called secondary metabolites, act as natural defence of trees and plants against herbivores and pests (Stolter, 2018). In terms of the nutrition of grazing animals, CT can have both benefi cial and detrimental eff ects on animals' health and digestion, depending on the concentration and structure of condensed tannins.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of wild herbaceous legumes and its role in livestock nutrition

Madibela¹,

Kemiso²,

Kwedibana³

2018

Climate change in southern Africa is predicted to be severe, and animal agriculture will suff er the most. However, there exist wild legumes that have survived under harsh environmental conditions and contribute to a varied diet for the grazing ungulates. This study tested the chemical composition of four wild herbaceous legumes each from Tswapong and Ngamiland districts in Botswana (Chamaecrista abscus, Chamaecrista rotundifolia, Crotalaria sphaerocarpa, Tephrosia lupinifolia, Tephrosia purpurea, Indigofera sp., Zornia glochidiata.). These plant species were previously found to fi x nitrogen in the soil by the SASSCAL research Task 316, and the plant selection was also guided by informed focus discussions with farmers. For Tswapong the results show that C. rotundifolia and T. purpurea had the highest level of crude protein (CP) while Z. glochidiata had the least CP. In vitro gas production showed high gas yield for Z. glochidiata, and a small volume of gas was produced by T. lupinifolia. Condensed tannins (CT) were higher for Z. glochidiata and C. rotundifolia but lower for T. purpurea and T. lupinifolia. CT were at similar concentration for C. rotundifolia and Z. glochidiata. No relationship was detected between condensed tannins and crude protein. With regard to samples from Ngamiland, there was no diff erences among plant species for acid detergent fi bre (ADF), whereas other parameters measured were signifi cantly diff erent among the legume plants. Indigofera sp. had the highest CP, while Crotalaria sphaerocarpa had the lowest. In general, levels of crude protein were diff erent among the legumes investigated but overall were higher than in natural grass, indicating their importance in providing protein to grazing ungulates in rangelands. Their high protein content also suggests the plants' potential as protein supplements if domesticated as fodder crops. However, palatability, toxicity, and intake should be tested in future studies before any recommendations are made.Resumo: Prevê-se que as alterações climáticas no Sul de África sejam severas, e a agricultura animal será a que irá sofrer mais. Porém, existem leguminosas silvestres que sobreviveram sob condições ambientais severas e contribuem para uma dieta variada dos ungulados de pastagem. Este estudo testou a composição química de quatro leguminosas herbáceas silvestres, cada uma dos distritos de Tswapong e Ngamiland no Botswana (Chamaecrista abscus, Chamaecrista rotundifolia, Crotalaria sphaerocarpa, Tephrosia lupinifolia, Tephrosia purpurea, Indigofera sp., Zornia glochidiata). Foi previamente descoberto pela equipa de trabalho 316 do SASSCAL que estas espécies de plantas fi xam azoto no solo, tendo a selecção de plantas sido também guiada por discussões de foco informado com agricultores. Para Tswapong, os resultados mostram que C. rotundifolia e T. purpurea tiveram os níveis mais elevados de proteína bruta (CP), enquanto que Z. glochidiata teve a menor quantidade de CP. In vitro, a produção de gás mostrou um elevado rendimento pela Z. glo...

“…Different methods are also available to study food utilisation, such as the estimation of damage caused by herbivory, analyses of rumen and faeces content, as well as personal observations. A brief description on the analyses concerned with nutritional quality can be found in the corresponding infobox by Stolter (2018b).…”

Section: In Situ Based Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rangeland monitoring and assessment: a review

Ramoelo¹,

Stolter²,

Joubert³

et al. 2018

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