Macro-mineral contents in ten species at three phenological stages in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, District Karak, Pakistan

Abstract

Livestock rearing is a common practice by the locals in Tehsil Takht-e-Nasrati, and source of livelihood. Low productivity due to poor health of livestock is a major consideration in the study area. In order to know whether this low productivity and poor health might be due to poor quality of forage, ten forage species were analyzed for macro-mineral quantification at three phenological stages. The palatability of these species was recorded from the shepherds, after following the animals while grazing in the rangeland during this study. Mineral compositions of plants are used in the diagnoses of probable deficiencies in food, forage and nutritional status of plants. Comparison among the species at vegetative stage and macro nutrients showed that the highest amount of potassium (74.08 g kg -1 ) was found in Datura metel. Comparisons at reproductive and post-reproductive stages among species and macro nutrients pointed out that the highest amount of potassium was found in Rhazya stricta (72.07 g kg -1 and 75.46 g kg -1 , respectively). It is concluded that macro-minerals concentrations available in these forage plants to the grazing livestock were very low, hence this may be one of the causes responsible for the pitiable health and productivity of the grazing animals in investigated area.