Fodder Radish as a Potential Alternative Feed Source for Livestock in South Africa

Lwando Mbambalala (), Zikhona Theodora Rani, Thamsanqa Doctor Empire Mpanza, Makiwa Simeon Mthana, Lusanda Ncisana and Ntuthuko Raphael Mkhize
Additional contact information
Lwando Mbambalala: Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Zikhona Theodora Rani: Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Thamsanqa Doctor Empire Mpanza: Agricultural Research Council-Animal Production, P/Bag X02, Irene 0062, South Africa
Makiwa Simeon Mthana: Department of Animal Science, School of Agriculture, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science, North-West University, Mahikeng Campus, Private Bag X2046, Mmabatho 2735, South Africa
Lusanda Ncisana: Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
Ntuthuko Raphael Mkhize: Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01 Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: The agricultural sector receives substantial support from livestock, which greatly contributes to the well-being of rural communities. Livestock offers animal-derived products, such as meat and milk, which serve as abundant protein sources for human consumption. While the majority of South Africa’s agricultural land is suitable for livestock farming within the smallholder sector, these farmers often face a variety of challenges. Among these challenges, there is insufficient access to superior forage resources, resulting in the limited availability of high-quality feed. Traditional nutrient sources for ruminants, such as soybean meal, grain, sunflower meal, and fish meal, are employed as supplementary feeds to provide exceptional nutrition and improve animal performance. Nonetheless, they present logistical, economic, and environmental challenges. To circumvent these challenges, smallholder producers have turned to leguminous trees, including Vachellia species and other locally available feed resources. They are utilized as feasible and cost-effective alternatives to supplement livestock, especially during periods of extended drought. However, these locally available feed resources exhibit inherent limitations, including thorn presence, high fiber content, low digestibility, and the presence of anti-nutritional and toxic factors. Cool season forage crops such as fodder radish present promising alternatives as autumn and winter forages for these farmers. Despite being widely used globally as a supplement for livestock during winter, fodder radish remains relatively underutilized, particularly among smallholder farmers. There is a scarcity of comprehensive information regarding its chemical composition, nutrient utilization, and remarkable potential to revolutionize livestock production, especially within the smallholder sector. Most of the available literature demonstrates the positive effects of fodder radish on soil structure, soil carbon and nitrogen levels, weed suppression, and other benefits. This paper systematically reviews the current state of knowledge on the nutritive value, opportunities, and challenges associated with the utilization of this crop in the cooler eastern regions.

Keywords: cool season crops; Brassica crops; fodder radish; animal nutrition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/8/1625/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/8/1625/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:8:p:1625-:d:1219638

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().