Use of Integrated Range Management Practices for Improving Growth and Dry Matter Yield of Forage Species in Mvomero district, Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

Scarcity of forage particularly during dry seasons is among the major factors which limit improved meat production from livestock in  many pastoral communities in tropical countries. The scarcity is associated with low level of soil nutrients, irregularity in weather patterns  and climate change. One way of making more feeds available for livestock in such times include the adoption of Integrated  Range Management practices (IRM), rangelands management technique which involve a range of practices including application of  manure, furrowing the land and oversowing among others. The IRM was a focus for this study which was conducted in one pastoral  village namely Mela, in Mvomero District in Morogoro Region, Tanzania. Field trials were conducted based on a Completely Randomized  Block Design (CRBD) and aimed to assess the influence of oversowing Cenchrus ciliaris on grazing lands, the effect of manure application  on growth performance and dry matter yield of the specie, and the effect of furrowing on grazing land. Fifteen plots of equal sizes (16m²)  were needed for this study and from which the dry matter (DM), number and height of tillers of the target specie were  determined. Comparison on the study factors among the plots were done based on the One -way analysis of variance (ANOVA), results  obtained from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. In general, growth was significant (p≤0.05) among the  different plots being fast in the plots which combined manure, oversowing and furrowing followed by those which had manure and  oversowing, and least were those which oversowing and furrowing was the option. The major reason for high growth in the three factors plot was with no doubt shown to be high level of IRM with three or more factors (practices) for increased fodder productivity.