EFFECT OF GRAZING AND SUPPLEMENTATION IN A COCONUT PLANTATION ON CATTLE PRODUCTION, COCONUT YIELD AND SOIL FERTILITY

The effects of grazing the natural herbage growing in coconut plantati ons on the growth and reproduction of indigenous cattle, as well as on coconut production and soil fertility, were examined in an experiment of 6 years' duration. The growth, reproduction and lactation of the Z ebu heifers was poor when no feed supplement was given. Provision of r ice straw or, better, rice straw plus concentrates, greatly improved c attle performance, There was also an increase in coconut production, b oth with grazing alone and with each increment of supplement, associat ed with improved soil water-holding capacity. It is concluded that a m anagement system based on resources available to local farmers can ach ieve sustainable improvements of both stock performance and crop produ ction as well as soil fertility.