University level training in agriculture started at Morogoro in 1969. Training in animal production aspects at BSc level has until now been part of a 3year BSc Agriculture degree with optional specialization during the final year of study. As part of the curriculum review exercise we have carried out a detailed analysis of our past record of research and training with a view to restructuring our programmes to accommodate changing needs and developments in animal production in Tanzania in the years ahead. All BSc undergraduates undertake a special research project in the final year. Between 1977 and 1989, postgraduate training at MSc and PhD level has been conducted successfully as a sandwich programme between Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Agricultural University of Norway at As.
Body weights from birth to 756 days of age for calves of Mpwapwa cattle (12% Bos taurus inheritance) and backcrosses (34% Bos taurus) born in the wet or the dry season were analysed. The calves were weaned at 75 days of age and after that fed entirely on pasture. Backcrosses were heavier than Mpwapwa at birth and at 252 days of age but not at subsequent ages. Calves born in the dry season had slightly larger birth weights than calves born in the wet season. Weight differences were reversed from 252 to 504 days reflecting the seasonal fluctuations in grass growth. The effect of season of birth on long term rate of gain was negligible. No significant interaction between genetic group (Mpwapwa vs backcrosses) and season of birth (wet vs dry) was observed at any of the ages. The study thus did not confirm the hypothesis that backcrosses because of their higher proportion of Bos taurus genes were more sensitive to the nutritional stress of the dry season than were pure Mpwapwa calves.
Milk records of individual cows and meteorological data for each day over a period of 24 years were extracted from the files at the Livestock Production Research Institute at Mpwapwa in Central Tanzania. The herd was composed of various crosses between Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle, and carried on average about 20% taurus inheritance. Milk yields were accumulated for successive periods of 28 days from calving to end of lactation, and related to average temperatures and total rainfall in the same period (and/or in the preceding period). The relationship was studied by multiple regression analysis. The proportion of total variation in milk yield accounted for by the climatic parameters considered, was in the range of 5 to 10 per cent. The variation which could be ascribed to individual weather variables was small, partly because of the close correlation between most of the variables. High morning (09.00 h) temperatures had a consistently negative influence on concurrent milk yield. In contrast high minimum temperatures, and high afternoon (15.00 h) temperatures on the wet bulb thermometer, had a significant positive effect. Milk yield was also positively influenced by high rainfall both concurrently and in the preceding period. The apparently positive effect of high wet bulb temperature in the afternoon might be explained by the inverse relationship between humidity and solar radiation, a climatic factor which was not recorded in this set of data.
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