Chemical composition and physical characteristics of standing hay and foggage along the pasture field in Morogoro sub-urban, Tanzania
| dc.contributor.author | Venance S. Tarimo | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ephraim J. Mtengeti | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-05-15T06:05:22Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-05-15T06:05:22Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022-12 | |
| dc.description | Healthy Rangelands for Sustainable Grazing Land Productivity | |
| dc.description.abstract | In-situ forage conservation in the form of standing hay is the commonest and cheapest form of natural pasture conservation by most agro-pastoral and pastoral communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Standing hay is over matured and un-harvested pasture (mainly annual grasses). On the other hands, excessively overstays standing hay in the field until the first rain a shower of the next season is referred as foggage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritive value of the standing hay and foggage of natural pastures plot rested for entire wet (growing) and dry periods for nine months until the first rains. Standing hay samples were taken three months before the rains while those of foggage were obtained three weeks after the first rains. Ten samples were taken at random from a standing hay and foggage for determination of botanical and nutritive composition. Standing hay and foggage did not differ significantly (P ≥ 0.05) in terms of dry matter (DM) content (85.9 % vs 83.1 %), Crude protein (3.8 % vs 3.3%), in vitro dry matter digestibility (34 % vs 32 %), metabolizable energy (5.3 vs 5.2 MJ/kg DM). However, standing hay had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) less Neutral Detergent Fiber (80 vs 82 %) and more leaf:stem ratio (2:1 vs 1.4:1) than oggage. In terms of organoleptic test scores standing hay and foggage were not significantly (P ≥ 0.05) in touch and pollution but foggage had significantly ((P≤ 0.05) mouldy appearance and bad smell than standing hay. It can be concluded that tropical natural pastures standing hay and foggage have low nutritive value yet the foggage is very fibrous which can reduce the productivity of grazing animals. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7587 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Rangeland Society of Tanzania (RST) | |
| dc.subject | Forage conservation | |
| dc.subject | natural pasture | |
| dc.subject | mouldy hay | |
| dc.subject | leaf:stem ratio | |
| dc.title | Chemical composition and physical characteristics of standing hay and foggage along the pasture field in Morogoro sub-urban, Tanzania | |
| dc.type | Article |