Evaluation of shrub species for sheep grazing in the Strandveld of the Cape West Coast of South Africa

Abstract

The production of three exotic shrub species, Atriplex nummularia (old man saltbush), A. canescens (four‐winged salt‐bush) and Medicago arborea (tree lucerne) and one indigenous evergreen shrub, Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. pisifera (west coast bitou), was evaluated in the Strandveld of the Cape West Coast in terms of grazing capacity (ssu ha−1) and average daily gain (ADG) (g ssu−1 day−1) using mature Dorper sheep. Medicago arborea died out during the first season. The other three shrubs, however, survived and over a seven‐year period mean grazing capacities of 1.7, 1.6 and 1.0 ssu ha−1 were obtained, respectively, for C. monilifera, A. nummularia and A. canescens, which is in excess of the area norm of 5 ha ssu−1 for natural veld. Positive ADGs of 80 and 30 g ssu−1 day−1 were obtained on A. nummularia and A. canescens, respectively, but not on C. monilifera (‐180 g ssu−1 day−1).