Mixed Systems: Use of Crop Residues

Mixed farming crop residue systems are defined as systems where crop residues are collected and conserved to feed livestock on the farm.

Part of the year animals are still grazed on communal areas where they compete for feed with livestock from other systems. Common reasons to collect and store crop residues are:

- prevent other livestock consuming farm crop residues after harvest;
- reserve feed for periods of feed scarcity (dry season, winter time);
- use residues from own fields that cannot be reached by own livestock;
- have feed for animals kept on the farm (i.e. draught animals).

The system is mainly found in semi-arid, sub-humid and hilly areas where there is increasing competition for feed resources from communal grazing areas and for cropland. As such the presence of this system can be an indicator for such pressures.

The principal objective of farmers is to keep livestock as a savings account. In addition livestock can be used to provide draught power. Large ruminants are kept in village / family herds grazing communal areas. Small ruminants are often herded by children and looked after by women. In general households own a mix of small (sheep and goats) and large ruminants (cattle or buffalo) usually aiming at possessing more large ruminants. Compared with the "Communal Grazing" systems the composition of herds by species and animal type may have changed:

- cattle in productive stage at farm, others if any sent to herds in grazing systems
- relatively more goats and / or sheep grazing fallow and communal areas
- relatively more draught animals

The quantity of crop residues that can be collected depends mainly on the area cultivated, crop type and cropping density. Legumes provide residues with a high protein content. Available quantities are often small (low production per ha, small areas cultivated) while transport and storage losses can be high (loss of dry leaves). In general cereals are cultivated at a larger scale and provide more residues per ha but quality is poor (low protein content, poor digestibility). At best it is just good enough to prevent animals losing weight. As long as better quality feed is available crop residues may not be used although available.

The principal Livestock Environment interaction is the internal trade of organic matter and plant nutrients on farm through crop residue harvesting and feeding. The livestock / cropland ratio in general is not sufficient to maintain soil fertility. Decline in soil fertility can be accelerated by the use of animal traction.

Land scarcity for cultivation may force the system to switch to cut and carry, or feed from farm systems. When farmers succeed in raising more livestock then they may be forced to keep more animals elsewhere in "Communal Grazing" or "Grazing" systems (temporary or full time) because of feed and/or water scarcity.

The potential of "Crop Residue" subsystems to produce more livestock products is through more animals, not through an increased production per animal. To increase the production per animal feed of better quality then crop residues is required, i.e, in another sub-system.

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