REGENERATION OF STYLOSANTHES-HAMATA ON PASTURES SUBJECTED TO GRAZING AT DIFFERENT STOCKING DENSITIES AND CROPPING

Studies were conducted on. the sustainability of style-based mini-fodd er banks for peasant farmers in the subhumid zone of Nigeria between 1 991 anal 1993. Dry West African Dwarf goats grazed at between 1.99 and 4.71 TLU/ha (Tropical Livestock Unit = 250 kg liveweight) during the first wet season and between 2.11 and 4.23 TLU/ha during the following season. Animals were also left on. paddocks during the dry season. Un its of the ley fallow land were also cropped during the two consecutiv e seasons to tropical cereals. Animal Liveweight gain per head general ly, decreased with increase in stocking density while gain per unit of land increased. The differences between the treatments were significa nt (P < 0.05) in the first season. The nutritive value of protected he rbage did not vary as a result of grazing at different densities in th e previous season. Regeneration of Stylosanthes hamata following grazi ng or cropping was mainly from old stock (about 90%). Herbage undergro wth during the first year was significantly (P < 0.05) higher on mille t plots than on maize/sorghum plots. After the first season of grazing the proportion of new stands was higher on plots grazed at high stock ing densities than at low density. Following the second season. of gra zing and cropping, style populations were low. The understorey herbage on maize/sorghum plots was also higher than that on millet plots in t he second year. No significant differences were observed between the c rop plots or stocking density in the second year. S. hamata establishe s rapidly in the zone but efforts will have to be made to maintain goo d pasture conditions from the second grazing or cropping season.