INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THE FEEDING VALUE OF TREE FODDER

Tree fodder plays a central role in the fanning systems of the mid-hil ls of Nepal. With declining forest resources, farmers are increasingly relying on establishing on-farm tree fodder resources, An inventory o f fodder species grown and a detailed investigation of farmers' knowle dge of the comparative fodder quality of different species revealed a complex set of criteria for comparing the 90 species cultivated, Fodde r quality was determined by: the ability of fodder to satisfy appetite ; the effects of fodder on milk and ghee (butter fat content) producti on including the effects of fodder on milk odour; the ability of fodde r to improve animal growth rate (body weight gain); the effects of fod der on animal health; the comparative preference of different livestoc k for different fodder; and the palatability of fodder. A number of at tributes were known to influence fodder quality. These were: leaf text ure; leaf maturity; leaf bitterness; fodder toxicity; season; and the management regimes applied to the fodder tree. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce B.V.