<p><strong>Background</strong>. Availability of quality feed in adequate quantity for animals is a perennial problem. Its search results in conflicts between crop farmers and herders. <strong>Objectives. </strong>This research investigated three forage legumes in order to determine the most yielding, adaptable and important traits that could be used for forage improvement. <strong>Methodology. </strong>The forage legumes were laid out in randomised complete block design across three environments. Data collected on growth and yield parameters were subjected to ANOVA, principal component analysis (PCA) and stability analysis using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI). <strong>Results </strong>The result showed that there was significant (<em>p < 0.05</em>) difference among the forage legumes for vegetative traits, stress traits and yield, hence, they could be through breeding. For biomass yield, PC1 and PC2 accounted for 75.16 and 24.84% of G x E respectively based on AMMI. <em>Lablab purpureus</em> is the most yielding, stable, adapted to rain forest and savannah zones, with yield of 28,948.69 kg/ha. PCA revealed that the first three PCs accounted for 87% of the total variation. There was positive and significant association between biomass yield and vegetative traits. <strong>Implication. </strong>Flourishing vegetative growth is a good indicator of biomass yield. <strong>Conclusion. </strong>It is recommended that extension agents should encourage the adoption of lablab for production of feeds for ruminants, as it can serve as sustainable land use measure considering the modern restriction on land availability for grazing and solution to incessant pastoral and crop farmers crises in the tropics.</p>
In the structure of the Kwara Agricultural Development Programme, the position of Zonal Extension Officers (ZEO) is vital and central to the execution of the extension programmes which are implemented through the frontline Extension Agents. The study examined the leadership effectiveness of the Zonal Extension Officers (ZEOs) in Kwara State Agricultural Development Programme, factors that hindered the leadership effectiveness of ZEOs and the demographic characteristics of ZEOs and Extension Agents (EAs) in Kwara State Agricultural Development Programme. One hundred and thirty (130) EAs and four (4) ZEOs were purposively selected for the study. Primary data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analysed with descriptive statistics while the hypotheses were tested with Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Chi-Square Statistics. Results of the study revealed that 94.6% of the EAs and all four ZEOs acquired tertiary education. The EAs and the ZEOs had an average of 8.01 and 5 years of field experience respectively. Furthermore, 59.2%, 58.5% and 50% of ZEOs were effective only in clarifying the organization’s goals, ineffective in staff motivation and communication respectively. There was a significant relationship between level of education (χ2 = 47.53, p=<0.05), years of experience (r=0.27, p=<0.05) of EAs and perceived leadership effectiveness of ZEOs. Based on the empirical evidence, the ZEOs need to improve their job performances. Extension personnel should acquire tertiary education with cognate field experience before they could function as ZEOs for optimum effectiveness.
8 weeks growth and meat quality of WAD sheep study were carried out to compare the digestibility of improved dried elephant grass (EG) (Pennisetum purpureum) supplemented with legume straw (LS) (Lablab purpureus) reared under indoor feeding system (IFS) and free grazing (FG). Twenty-four male west African dwarf (WAD) winner sheep with initial average body weight of 16 ± 0.5kg were assigned to four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design arrangement. Treatments consisted of T1 (sheep on EG and LS free grazing), indoor feeding system IFS; T2 (EG 80%, LS 20%), T3 (EG 70%, LS 30%) and T4 (EG 60%, LS 40%). The results showed that the final body weight of sheep on indoor feeding system T4 differed significantly (P < 0.05) from that of sheep on free grazing, T2 and T3. Physico-chemical properties were better in sheep meat on IFS (EG 60%, LS 40%) compared with other system including FG, control treatment. The sensory perception and fatty acid profiles of sheep meat on IFS were better compared with the sheep meat on FG system. These results showed that rearing of WAD sheep on indoor feeding system were better in terms of growth performance and its meat quality and could serve as an alternative to free grazing especially in region where there are incessant clashes between herders and crop farmers.
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