STATUS AND CHALLENGES OF AVAILABLE FEED RESOURCES AND IT’S QUALITY UNDER THE CHANGING CLIMATE

Abstract

The study was conducted in Adami Tulu Jido Kombolcha (ATJK) district of the East Shoa Zone Oromai Region, Eethiopia, with the objectives to assess the existing status of feed resource under climate change and examine chemical composition. Feed sample from grazing lands (protected communal (PC), protected private (PP) and unprotected communal (UnPC) and crop residues were used for chemical composition analysis (23 from the natural pasture (NP) and 48 from crop residues (CRs). Out of 23 herbaceous species identified in ATJK district, Cynodon dactilon in ATJK district was the dominant grass species. The average mean DMY (ton ha-1) of grass obtained from PPGL (2.43) and PCGL (2.36) was significantly (P<0.01) higher than that from UnPCGL(1.18) in ATJK . The mean value of CP contents of CRs in ATJK district were 3.5±0.17 for maize stover (MS) to 6.5±0.93 for Haricot bean (HCB) straw. The NDF contents of CRs were between 63.5±1.83 for HCB to 79.74±1.24 for maize stover (MS). The ADF contents of CRs varied from WS (49.12±2.82) to HC (52.63±1.16) in ATJK district. Generally, the nutritive values of the evaluated feed resources were lower than the minimum and should supplement with protein and energy source. The analysis of meteorological data of 30 years of ATJK district indicated that; as temperature increase, the annual rainfall decrease and increases the rate of crop water use. This situation of climate change affects directly or indirectly the nutritive values and yields of the crop, natural pasture, and production and productivity of livestock and it will be suggested that to study the effects of climate on soil and animal feed nutrients.