Farmers' preferences and use of local fodder trees and shrubs in Kenya

Indigenous fodder trees and shrubs are now receiving increased research att ention. Systematic information from farmers about the species they use is, however, scanty. The objective of this study was to find out farmers' ranki ng of local fodder tree species of their choice; their criteria for assessi ng fodder trees; how the most preferred species rated on each criterion; sp ecies' uses, management, and ways of establishment; and implications of the se results for the design of similar studies in the tropics. The study cons isted of informal and formal surveys in three agroecological zones with mea n annual rainfall of 775, 950 and 1300 mm, respectively. Farmers used an in digenous board game, bao, to rank species. Improved, stall-fed dairy animal s were the dominant livestock type in the subhumid zone whereas communally- grazed, local-breed cattle and goats were common in the dry zone. A total o f 160 different local fodder trees and shrubs were used by farmers in the t hree zones. The three most preferred species in the subhumid zone were Triu mfetta tomentosa, Commiphora zimmermanii, and Bridelia micrantha; in the me dium zone, Aspilia mossambicensis, Lantana camara, and Grewia tembensis, an d in the low zone, Melia volkensii, Crotalaria goodiiformis, and A. mossamb icensis. In the subhumid zone, the most frequently mentioned criteria were the ability of the fodder to satisfy hunger and contributions to animal hea lth. Palatability and drought resistance of the tree were the most importan t criteria in the medium zone and, effect on the condition of the animal an d palatability were most important in the dry zone. Farmers' ratings on pal atability for cattle and goats, and milk production for goats differed sign ificantly among tree and shrub species (P < 0.05). The study has helped ide ntify species for further research and development activities, with the aim of improving their productivity and disseminating them among farmers.