Abstract
Adoption and utilisation of indigenous knowledge (IK) is declining. The objective of the current study was to determine differences in the extent of use of IK to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in goats between wet and dry environments. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Almost all households used IK in controlling parasites. There was a close association among environment, gender, and religion (p < 0.05) on IK use. Farmers who were less poor were 2.38 times more likely to use IK (p > 0.05) than farmers that were poor. Adults were 1.20 more likely to use IK (p < 0.05) than younger people. Unemployed farmers were 4.26 more likely to use IK compared to their employed counter parts (p < 0.01). Having a herbalist in the community was 3.6 times more likely to influence the use of IK (p < 0.05) compared to the environment in which there was no herbalist. Farmers that received informal education in the dry environment were 5.88 times more likely to use IK (p < 0.05) than those in the wet environment. Farmers who practised traditional Zulu culture were 2.05 times more likely to use IK compared to those following the Christian faith (p < 0.05). The considerable variation in the adoption of IK suggests that intervention strategies that advance IK use should consider the socio-demographic information of the community.
Highlights
Goat production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing significantly [1]
There was an association between environment and livestock training in the use of indigenous knowledge (IK) (p < 0.01)
The perceptions of farmers regarding the factors that influence the use of IK vary based on the environment
Summary
Goat production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is increasing significantly [1]. Developing countries are characterised by marginal and degraded lands, water scarcity, and harsh environmental conditions, in which the survival of imported goats is low. Indigenous goats are, predominant [2]. Indigenous goats are a backbone of rural economies and useful for nutrition and poverty alleviation [3]. Goats are kept for traditional ceremonies and help during times of crop failure [4]. Despite their contribution, goat rearing is often characterised by low levels of management, lack of good animal husbandry practices, and lack of veterinary care. Low productivity is exacerbated by high infestation with infectious diseases and parasites. Gastrointestinal parasitic infestation is rife due to warm temperatures and inadequate control measures [5,6]
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