Feeding strategies for improving productivity of ruminant livestock in developing countries
FAO/IAEA. 1989. Vienna, IAEA.
In March 1989 a combined Advisory Group Meeting and a Research Coordination Meeting took place in Vienna, organized by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
In the report of the Advisory Group, recognition was given to the opportunity of bringing together scientists from developing and developed countries for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, as well as to the provision of research training in animal nutrition by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division in its programmes in developing countries.
One important recommendation of the Advisory Group was to continue the programme's policy change from technique to problem-oriented work in these countries.
Attention was drawn to the need for project activities to be evaluated on their relevance to the agricultural system to which the research work would be applied and to the importance of defining objectives clearly in relation to relevant economic effects.
Apart from basic elements of the production system, such as geotype, climate, nutrition, disease, sociology/management and economics, factors such as the ecological and ethical aspects of the production system, the identification of limiting factors and the targets of the systems should also always be considered.
Some of the specific recommendations of the group referred to the use of non-conventional feed resources, the need for more information on deleterious compounds and toxic substances in some tropical feeds, and the requirement to apply existing knowledge, such as the urea-ammonia method, to the farm.
With regard to foodstuffs themselves, it was recommended that "feeds be characterized through a limited amount of chemical analysis such as dry matter, organic matter and crude protein". The Advisory Group also stressed that efforts should be made to develop, test and validate standardized methods for measuring metabolites in blood or urine.
Fourteen papers presented at the meeting by well-known experts in this field are published in these proceedings. They cover subjects ranging from biodegradation of lignocellulosic materials to resource utilization and dietary and rumen manipulation, and make this book a source of extremely useful information to animal feed scientists in the developing world.
B.T.B.
Animal genetic resources - A global programme for sustainable development
Ed. G. Wiener. 1990. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper No. 80. Rome. 300 pp.
It is common knowledge that the need and demand for animal protein in the developing countries far outstrip resources. It is estimated that, well below the recognized minimum requirement of 30 g per day of animal protein, the average daily consumption in these countries is only 13 g.
The demand for increased animal production in the developing countries, there-fore, continues. To increase production, livestock producers either cross-breed or substitute their indigenous breeds entirely with others. Consequently, many indigenous breeds become endangered and their unique traits are often lost for ever. An awareness of this trend has generated over recent years a global programme to preserve resources.
Activities in preservation include data collection and the establishment of an information system, followed by germplasm collection, freezing and storage, and the establishment of breeding units for live animal preservation. As a result of cooperation with UNEP, Regional Animal Gene Banks have been established in Africa, Asia and Latin America for the cryogenic storage of germplasm of endangered species and breeds and a Global Data Bank has been set up by FAO in conjunction with the European Association of Animal Production (EAAP).
The FAO Committee on Agriculture (COAG) reviewed, in 1989, FAO's Animal Genetic Resources Programme and proposed that an Expert Consultation be held to further the technical, legal, financial and institutional aspects of a global programme.
The proceedings of the Expert Consultation are contained in this publication and the 24 papers presented were by leading experts in all species of domestic livestock, including poultry. The papers are grouped under four main headings: institutional and legal aspects; technical problems associated with the preservation of animal genetic resources; live animal preservation; and world watch on endangered species. Recommendations covering all these aspects are included in the publication.
Isotope-aided studies on livestock productivity in Mediterranean and North African countries
IAEA. 1988. Proceedings of the Final Research Coordination Meeting, Rabat, 1987. Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
To study the problems of the productivity of grazing animals in the Mediterranean and North Africa, it was decided, in 1982, to establish a Coordinated Research Programme.
This programme, under the auspices of the IAEA and FAO, was generously supported by the Government of Italy through its Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo and included the participation of the animal production research institutes in those countries of the region. The Programme focused on reproductive performance, adaptation to harsh climatic conditions and on nutritional requirements, and its aims were to enhance reproductive efficiency, identify physiological parameters that would be linked to increased resistance to high ambient temperatures and water shortage, and to overcome nutritional constraints on productivity.
For the improvement of reproductive efficiency under diverse environments and management, plasma and/or milk progesterone levels were measured by radio-immunoassay (RIA) in monitoring the ovarian status of ruminants. Reproductive rates and growth performance of the various indigenous breeds of sheep, goats and cattle under rangeland and smallholder conditions were monitored also by assessment of diet, food intake and feed supplements.
In the studies on reproductive efficiency, standardized blood and milk progesterone kits were successfully developed to increase the reliability of the assays and to assist in data comparison.
The programme's major achievement, however, was its stimulation of animal production research in the countries concerned and in the resulting publication of some 140 research reports, articles and papers written by participants from the developing countries of the region.
This publication contains the papers presented at the Final Research Coordination Meeting held in Morocco, as well as the important conclusions and recommendations of the programme itself. The papers, contributed by 26 international experts in animal production, cover a range of specialized subjects from, for example, the detailed description of Mediterranean breeds to the investigation of hormone profiles and the endocrine changes associated with follicular maturation.
This multidisciplinary collection of data provides a useful reference source for animal production workers of the region.
B.T.B.
Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia
G.E. Jones. 1989. OIE (Office international des épizooties), 12 rue de Prony, F-75017 Paris. Technical Series No. 9. Paris, OIE.
Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP), first described in 1881, is an important disease of goats and is a major cause of loss in at least 30 countries in Africa and Asia. The causal agent of classical, acute CCPP is a mycoplasma known as F38 biotype and is within the so-called "M. mycoides cluster" which includes other mycoplasma pathogens. These other pathogens can confuse the diagnosis of CCPP.
In this concise publication, diagnostic techniques - microscopic, the fluorescent antibody test - and a serological gel precipitin test are described as well as techniques of mycoplasma identification/isolation.
Identification of mycoplasmas by biochemical and serological tests is also given and the Appendix includes formulations of seven mycoplasma media and complete details of biochemical and serological tests.
An extensive review of the relevant literature is also provided.
Vaccines against the F38 biotype are still not available commercially but experiments are currently concentrating on an inactivated vaccine.
B.T.B.
Application of NMR techniques on the body composition of live animals
Eds E. Kallweit, M. Henning & E. Groeneveld. 1989. London and New York, Elsevier Applied Science.
The first demonstration of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in condensed matter took place more than 40 years ago and since then NMR-spectroscopic studies on live animals and humans have been so encouraging that many further applications are expected in the future. However, this non-destructive means of studying body composition is still a highly sophisticated technique requiring extremely costly equipment.
Experimental studies now taking place in Mariensee include assessment of body composition of muscle, fat, bone and viscera of pigs by scanning. NMR, at present a high-cost investigative technique, is consequently restricted to research. However, when less costly equipment is developed, the technique could also be used more pragmatically as, for example, in slaughterhouses for carcass evaluation.
Experiments in Mariensee are also being made to seek a solution to the cost obstacle by replacing imaging by numerical assessment of tissue, essential for use in animal science.
This volume contains the papers given by eminent scientists in this subject at the 1988 seminar held at the Institut für Tierzucht und Tierverhalten, Mariensee, Federal Republic of Germany, where these exclusive facilities are becoming available for international scientific use.
B.T.B.
Feeds and nutrition
M.E. Ensminger, J.E. Oldfield & W.W. Heinemann. 1990. Second ed. Clovis, California, Ensminger Publishing Company. 1 544 pp.
This important volume covers all aspects of animal feeds and nutrition. It is a source of information of encyclopedic proportions for all those concerned with the optimum raising of livestock.
The first section, on nutrition, is based on the far-reaching and crucial role of photosynthesis and the complete dependence of not only ruminants but of life itself on this process. The other chapters in the section describe the principles of nutrition, digestion/absorption, nutrients/metabolism and nutritional disorders and toxins. Also included are illustrated mineral charts and tables setting out the salient points of some 38 nutritional diseases and ailments.
The second section of the publication deals with feeds and its 11 chapters give detailed information on types of feedstuffs and their-utilization, including pasture and range forages, hay, silage, grains, protein supplements, by-product feeds, crop residues, feed supplements, processing, analysis and the buying of feeds.
The third section on feeding begins with a chapter on the relationship of animal behaviour to environment. The authors' philosophy is possibly best summarized by the caption to an illustration of the last century reproduced in this chapter which depicts a sick cow. The veterinarian advises its owner that: "Knowledge of behavioural norms is necessary in order to detect and treat abnormal situations - especially illness". The section emphasizes the importance of feed to the full development of genetic resources and fully describes ration formulation and the appropriate feeding of beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, horses, rabbits, mink and fish.
The fourth section is composed of glossaries of nutrition terms and feedstuffs. Composition of feeds is dealt with in the fifth section and includes tables giving full composition of feeds with data expressed "as-fed" and "moisture-free".
The Appendix in the sixth section includes conversion tables of weights and measures and the estimation of animals' weights without the use of scales.
At the end of each chapter, questions are listed for study and discussion. This publication, together with Feeds and nutrition digest (794 pages), by the same authors, will be extremely useful as a reference book in the libraries of all institutes of training in animal production.
B.T.B.
Feeds and nutrition digest
M.E. Ensminger, J.E. Oldfield & W.W. Heinemann. 1990. Second ed. Clovis, California, Ensminger Publishing Company. 794 pp.
This is a condensed edition of the publication Feeds and nutrition reviewed above.
The subject-matter and the order of contents follow identically that of the complete edition by the same authors. The publication has been abridged to approximately half the volume of the complete edition.
The address of the publishers of both publications is: 648 West Sierra Avenue, PO Box 429, Clovis, California 93612, USA.
Modern microbiological methods for dairy products
International Dairy Federation. 1989. Proceedings of International Seminar, Santander 1989. Brussels, IDF.
This seminar on modern microbiological methods for dairy products was sponsored by the International Dairy Federation (IDF), the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), and the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS). Its objectives were to consider the current microbiological safety of milk products and laboratory methodology for the identification and enumeration of micro-organisms. This high-level seminar, with the participation of many leading scientists, was divided into three sections: essentials of safety and quality assurance and their application; analytical techniques applied to determine hygiene and quality on the farm and in the dairy plant; and analytical techniques applied to determine pathogens.
The quality control of milk and its products depends on awareness of all the classic as well as "emerging" pathogens, of spoilage micro-organisms and the selection of marker organisms for the control of undesirable bacteria. Safety guarantees (HACCP and LISA), including their application to fermented dairy products, the determination of control critical points, good manufacturing practices, automated instrument techniques, recent tests for the detection of the genus Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, staphylococcal entero-toxins, and Escherichia coli are some of the topics described in detail in the 12 papers and the posters included in these proceedings.
The seminar, organized by the Spanish National Dairy Committee, concluded with a general discussion on the need for further research and-future meetings.
The publication is sold and distributed by IDF, 4-1 Square Vergote, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium and by the US National Committee of IDF, 464 Central Avenue, Room 24, Northfield, Illinois 60093, USA.
Harnessing and implements for animal traction
P. Starkey. 1989. Braunschweig, Wiesbaden, Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn/Eschborn, GTZ/GATE.
This new publication, described as a resource book, provides much useful information from different sources of technical material on animal traction and gives an objective account of field results concerning draught animal activities in different parts of the world but with special reference to Africa.
The publication forms one of a set of three resource books envisaged on the general subject of animal traction. The other two will deal with the working animal (selection, training, husbandry and nutrition) and draught animal power (economic, social and environmental aspects).
Main chapters include a brief and clear presentation of mechanical principles, three chapters on harnessing, a review on the selection of equipment, three chapters on equipment and implements, a review on assessment of work performance and a closing chapter on important issues dealing with planning and policies in the general context of rural development.
The book combines a practical understanding of draught in developing countries as well as a review of published material on the subject. It is well illustrated with photographs, excellent line drawings and diagrams and includes useful appendices. It is a most valuable book for a wide range of people interested in animal traction.
GATE - German Appropriate Technology Exchange, a Division of GTZ offers an information service on appropriate technologies for all public and private development institutions in developing countries. The address is Postbox 5180, D-6236 Eschborn 1, Germany.
J.C.C.
Nuclear techniques in the study and control of parasitic diseases of livestock
FAO/IAEA. 1988. Proceedings of the Final Research Coordination Meeting. Vienna, International Atomic Energy Agency. 208 pp.
This publication represents the synthesis of a five-year coordinated research programme, conducted under the auspices of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division, on isotope and radiation applications of atomic energy for food and agricultural development. Its 15 papers were presented by participants of the programme at three meetings held in Vienna, Nairobi and Rabat. These papers reflect the objectives in developing new vaccines or the more extensive application of available vaccines. They also stimulate the examination of immunology, pathogenesis and genetics of host-parasite relationships of veterinary importance in developing countries.
L.V.
Biogas plants in animal husbandry
U. Werner, U. Stohr & N. Hees. 1989. Wiesbaden, GATE/GTZ. Price: DM 29.80.
Cattle, pig and chicken dung, green plants and plant waste as well as agro-industrial wastes, hitherto perhaps creating disposal problems, can all be utilized in the production of biogas. This ecological technology is a made-to-measure technique, and is particularly useful for small farmers in developing countries. The process converts waste organic substances, by putrefaction at appropriate temperatures, into a combustible mixture of methane and carbon dioxide, known commonly as biogas.
The advantageous effects of biogas production are economy, autonomy, safe disposal of wastes and, in the case of animal husbandry, improved production by modified stabling and thus intensified care given to livestock.
This thorough and practical guide to the construction and use of simple biogas plants has been written principally for those concerned with planning and application, and for extension workers. It is very well illustrated and covers all aspects of biogas production from fundamental principles and parameters to the social acceptance of the technique.
B.T.B.
Code of practice for the control of salmonellae in commercial laying flocks
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the British Poultry Federation. 1988. Northumberland, UK, MAFF (Publications).
Salmonella poisoning originating from raw foodstuffs used in the preparation of commercial food for humans has lately been on the increase. Although complete elimination of salmonella organisms is not possible, poultry producers, the food industries and feed compounders are responsible for reducing salmonella organisms to a minimum.
A code of practice, to be followed by those involved in commercial laying flocks, has been drawn up by the British Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in conjunction with the British Poultry Federation.
This code includes control measures to be applied to poultry houses, equipment and vehicles, egg collection and handling, the taking of sufficient samples from poultry houses for culture, and the monthly culture of eggs. It also covers regulations to avoid contamination of feed and, lastly, human health risks on the farm and at the hatchery.
The booklet explains precisely and categorically the rules to be followed in commercial egg production. It cannot, of course, be applied to general practices of poultry raising in developing countries. However, the importance given to the strictness of hygiene and handling of eggs, as laid down in this code, is a clear and uncompromising model that may help all egg producers to understand the necessity of applying basic standards of hygiene. By extension, in both senses of the word, this message perhaps may even eventually reach the small owners of scavenging chickens in the developing world.
Copies of the code may be obtained either from MAFF (Publications), Lion House, Willowburn Estate, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2PF, UK or Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Chesser House, 500 Gorgie Road, Edinburgh EH11 3AW, UK.
B.T.B.
Tropical forage legumes
P.J. Skerman, D.G. Cameron & F. Riveros. 1988. FAO Plant Production and Protection Series No. 2, Second ed. Rome. 652 pp.
This is an updated and expanded version of the book first issued in 1977. It now includes information on many of the newer cultivated tropical forage legumes including Aeschyonomene americana, A. indica, Atylosia spp., Cassia mimosoides, C. rotundifolia, Centrosema brasilianum, C. pascuorum, C. virginianum, Glycine spp., Psoralea patens, Stylosanthes capitata, S. scabra, S. viscosa and Trigonella suavissima.
The general structure and high standard of the first edition have been maintained and this should continue to be the standard text on the subject for field workers in developing countries.
J.M.S.
Pasture and cattle under coconuts
S. G. Reynolds. 1988. FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper No. 91. Rome. 321 pp.
Cattle have long been used to graze under tree crops and nowadays, despite a tendency to introduce intercropping in many tree-crop based farming systems, there is increasing interest in the effective integration of animal production into perennial crops.
This publication, based on the author's field experience over many years in Samoa and Zanzibar as well as an extensive literature review (over 750 references are cited), is a timely one and will be useful to the many workers in tropical countries who have to deal with ruminants in areas where tree crops are important.
Topics dealt with include the agricultural context of grazing under coconuts with the possible competition of crops for the land under trees, environmental aspects, the pasture species best suited to use under trees, pasture establishment techniques,; pasture management, fodder production for seasonal supplementary feed, effects of pasture on coconut yield, and coconuts and cattle as a small-farm operation.
The author has covered the subject in a broad sense and this book should also be of interest to workers involved in tropical pastures and agroforestry.
J.M.S.
Fodders for the Near East: Alfalfa
V.L. Marble. 1989. FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper No. 97/1. Rome. 207 pp.
Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, is one of most important fodder plants in the Near East and it is fitting that the first volume in this particular series be devoted to it.
All aspects of alfalfa grazing are covered, together with irrigated and rainfed production, seed production, disease and pest control, and weed control. There is a strong emphasis on practical applications throughout the book and the detailed chapters on seed production are particularly welcome in assisting field workers in the multiplication of adapted varieties locally.
J.M.S.
Beekeeping in rural development
IBRA. 1990. Cardiff, International Bee Research Association.
Beekeeping may be practiced wherever there are flowering plants and, even in areas considered unproductive and dry, there will be plants on which bees thrive.
Equipment for beekeeping is not complicated. A colony of bees requires a receptacle in which to build their nest; this may be a hive made simply from a log, strips of bark, reeds, or a clay pot or basket. Collecting honey from such basic hives, however, sometimes necessitates destroying the colony and always means removing the beeswax comb. To overcome this, frame hives can be used, made from a series of boxes stacked one upon the other, thus leaving the comb intact after collection of the honey. This method results in a lower wax production but an increased production of honey.
In all environments, two other necessary items for beekeeping are protective clothing and a smoker. The latter may simply be a tin can attached to some bellows, using dried dung as fuel.
The importance of honey as a food, as a medicine or as a cash crop, and that of beeswax in village candlemaking or handicrafts are also emphasized in this small, well-illustrated booklet published by IBRA with the assistance of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
IBRA provides a comprehensive information service on all aspects of bees and beekeeping and a special advisory service for beekeepers in developing countries. For further information, write to IBRA, 18 North Road, Cardiff CF1 3DY, UK. Tel: 0222 372409/372450; Telex: 23152 monref G 8390.
B.T.B.
Guide to effective teaching
STOAS. 1990. Wageningen, National Agricultural Teacher Training Institute (STOAS). 44 pp. Price: US$ 2.50 plus mailing charges.
This is a concise and well-illustrated publication for teachers and instructors and is intended as an aid for those seeking ways and means of improving the quality of their teaching. The suggestions contained in the book are practical, uncomplicated and helpful to those concerned with technical education and training. Copies are available from: STOAS, Stadsbrink 427, 6707 AE Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Pastoral development network (ODI)
Recent papers received from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in their Pastoral Development Network series include:
· Gambling with goats: variability in herd growth among restocked pastoralists in Kenya by Ruth Mace. Paper 28a· Patch use by cattle in dryland Zimbabwe: farmer knowledge and ecological theory by Ian Scoones. Paper 28b
· Cattle and development in western Zambia by Adrian P. Wood. Paper 28c
· Nigeria's experiment with a national programme for nomadic education by Catherine VerEecke. Paper 28d.
Inquiries regarding these pocket-size publications and the network newsletter should be addressed to the Newsletter Editor, Mr Roy Behnke, ODI, Regent's College, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NS, UK.
ILRAD Annual Report, 1988
International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases. 1988. ILRAD, PO Box 30709, Nairobi.
Intensive research leading to improved control of livestock diseases is the mandate of ILRAD, which was established in 1973 by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Theileriosis and trypanosomiasis are the two diseases on which the Laboratory concentrates its research and training programmes.
The aim of the theileriosis research programme is to develop improved methods to control Theileria parva infections which threaten about 25 million cattle in Africa. T. parva transmitted by the brown eartick, Rhipicephalus appen-diculatus, has been identified as having three subtypes, one of which produces East Coast fever (ECF). Immunization of livestock against ECF by the infection-and-treatment method is much in demand and the gene carrying a code for the production of a sporozoite antigen that induces immunity to East Coast fever has been sequenced.
Trypanosomiasis research at ILRAD is devoted to those trypanosomiases transmitted by tsetse flies which threaten 50 million people and 45 million cattle in 37 African countries. Trypanosomes, the blood-dwelling protozoan parasites, infect humans, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, camels and wild animals. More accurate diagnostic tests for trypanosome infection in livestock, overcoming parasite resistance to trypanocides and understanding the reasons why some cattle breeds withstand trypanosome infection are the short-term research goals.
Long-term strategies are the search for new and more sustainable control measures based on immunological solutions. Research is being carried out on the biology of the parasite as well as on enhancing the host mechanisms that control and destroy the parasite.
The Epidemiology and Socio-economics Research Unit assesses the impact of improved disease control in epidemiological, economic, social and environmental terms and is examining ways to sustain increased productivity without degrading the environment.
Training activities in 1988, accounting for approximately 10 percent of the ILRAD budget, included individual training programmes for scientists and technicians from African laboratories and field programmes, postgraduate training, workshops, courses and conferences relating to ILRAD research topics.
This annual report, giving a concise and scientific background to the control of trypanosomiasis and theileriosis, describes the problems and results of recent research and makes this publication one of particular interest to those concerned with livestock production in Africa.
B.T.B.
Les fourrages secs: Récolte, traitement, utilisation (Dried forages: Collection, treatment, utilization)
Ed. C. Demarquilly. 1987. Paris, INRA. 689 pp.
This comprehensive publication contains the papers presented at the conference entitled XVIe "Journées du Grenier de Theix". It was the fourth of these events devoted to forages or ruminant feeds. The main contributions are presented as full papers with references. They are grouped in sections dealing with collection and conservation of hay, nutritive value of hays and straws, utilization of dry forages by ruminants, mechanical aspects and economic aspects. In addition, there are nine short communications presented at a component symposium on the utilization of treated and untreated straw. The proceedings are introduced by a succinct consideration of the current place of dried forages in the feeding of domestic herbivores (R. Jarrige). It treats hot and temperate climates separately.
All the papers describe recent work, at basic and applied levels, in France; many relate to the conditions peculiar to one region of the country. In view of the diversity of climate and agricultural systems in France the findings reported will have relevance in many other temperate and Mediterranean climates.
For many years emphasis has been given to ensiling as the method of choice for preserving forages for ruminants. This book does much to restore a sense of balance. It deploys in detail recent advances that increase the competitiveness of hay, in the face of difficulties many farmers experience in making good silage. The main problem in haymaking is to reduce the time the cut crop remains in the field. Haymaking has therefore been simplified by using improved equipment for field treatment and barn drying, by the development of "big bales" and by provision of medium-range weather forecasts. Anyone interested in these developments will find much of interest in the book.
From the nutritional standpoint there is, naturally in France, mention of that fact that silage is not a permitted alternative to hay in areas where specialist cheeses are made. It is also of interest that cereal straw, delignified by the ammonia process, is currently an acceptable dry forage for stock, such as herd replacement heifers, growing at moderate rates. There are also reports on the treatment of moist hay with ammonia.
This book will provide considerable compensation and much valuable information for animal husbandry workers not fortunate enough to have attended the meeting.
C.C.B.
