Effect of grazing sewan (Lasiurus sindicus) pasture on female camels in arid ecosystem

Pregnant and non-pregnant adult camels were allowed 7 hr grazing in 11 ha o f sewan pasture for 155 days. Initially for 63 days all the animals were su pplemented dried moth chara (Phaseolus aconittfolius) @ 5.9 kg/day per head . Average daily gain was 589.29+/-30.30 g/day and 52.91+/-119.25 g/day in p regnant and non-pregnant camels, respectively, during supplementation perio d; and the average daily body weight loss during non-supplementation period was -399.07+/-21.44 g/day and -297.10+/-44.08 g/day in pregnant and non-pr egnant camels respectively. Blood profile revealed significant (P<0.05) hig her levels of total protein, albumin, cholesterol, Ca, Cl and lower levels of glucose and Hb in pregnant camels than that in non-pregnant camels. The erratic pattern of rainfall due to the EI-Nino effect resulted in the low a verage yield of sewan pasture (3.95 q DM/ha) corresponding to carrying capa city of only 0.11 adult camel unit, major cause for low camel production. C amels utilized most of their time in grazing while walking (68.30+/-2.49%) and preferred grazing mostly Lasiurus sindicus grass (55.91+/-2.46%) and Da ctyloctenium aegytium grass (32.83+/-4.33%) over other plant species. Camel grazing caused significant (<P0.01) soil nutrient loss of per cent carbon (0.24), available potash (138.33 kg/ha) and available phosphate (21.67 kg/h a). The results indicated the need of supplementation to grazing animals wh en pasture growth is poor.