Volume 59, Issue 328, April 2023

Effect of Hyptis suaveolens prevalence on pasture availability for cattle production in the selected derived and rainforest agro-ecological zones of Nigeria

Eniola PO^♦, Jimoh AR, Babatunde KM, Ayandele Bukola

Department of Agricultural Technology, The Oke-Ogun polytechnic, Saki Oyo State, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Agricultural Technology, The Oke-Ogun polytechnic, Saki Oyo State Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Availability of adequate feeds for Cattle production results in increased income and reduce disease infections. Thus, the study examined the effect of Hyptis suaveolens on feed availability for Cattle production in the selected derived savannah and rainforest agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 20% of Cattle herders from the population of 950 (190) from the derived savannah and 413 (83) from the rainforest zone to give 273 as sample size. The findings reveal that the mean age of the respondents were 42 years, mostly male and married. Majority (87.9%) of them had free range as source of feeding their Cattle while, Hyptis suaveolens greatly prevented proliferation of pastures, increased the cost of keeping Cattle and forced their Cattle to eat the tender parts of Hyptis spp as reported in the derived savannah zone by 74.7%, 73.7% & 86.3% respectively. Burning of bush (86.3%) and use of herbicides (86.3%) were used as coping strategies by Cattle herders to suppress proliferation of Hyptis spp. Average proportion of respondents in the rainforest zone affirmed that pastures were adequately available for Cattle production while 70.0% in the derived savannah zone stated that pastures were not adequately available for Cattle. Significant differences existed between the effect of Hyptis spp on Cattle production in the two zones examined (P < 0.05) and adequacy of pastures availability for Cattle in the two zones (P < 0.05). Campaign against bush burning should be encouraged while pasture seeds should be adequately provided for the Cattle herders until intensive system of keeping Cattle are embraced.

Keywords: Hyptis suaveolens prevalence, pasture availability, bush burning, herbicides, Cattle herders

Discovery, 2023, 59, e38d1038

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Published: April 2023