Evaluation of shrub species for sheep grazing in the Strandveld of the Cape west coast of South Africa.

Abstract

The production of three exotic shrub species, Atriplex nummularia (old man saltbush), A. canescens (four-winged saltbush) and Medicago arborea (tree lucerne) and one indigenous evergreen shrub, Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. pisifera (west coast bitou), was evaluated in the Strandveld of the Cape West Coast in terms of grazing capacity (ssu ha -1) and average daily gain (ADG) (g ssu -1 day -1) using mature Dorper sheep. Medicago arborea died out during the first season. The other three shrubs, however, survived and over a seven-year period mean grazing capacities of 1.7, 1.6 and 1.0 ssu ha -1 were obtained, respectively, for C. monilifera, A. nummularia and A. canescens, which is in excess of the area norm of 5 ha ssu -1 for natural veld. Positive ADGs of 80 and 30 g ssu -1day -1 were obtained on A. nummularia and A. canescens, respectively, but not on C. monilifera (-180 g ssu -1day -1).Language: English

Keywords: adg; area; Atriplex canescens; Atriplex nummularia; Average daily gain; bitou; Bitou Atriplex species; cape; Chrysanthemoides monilifera; coast; daily gain; Dorper sheep; exotic; Four-winged saltbush; grazing; Grazing capacity; indigenous; lucerne; medicago; Medicago arborea; Old man saltbush; production; Saltbush; season; sheep; sheep grazing; shrubs; south africa; species; strandveld; Tree lucerna; tree lucerne; veld; west coast