In June 2016, Bimrew Asmare graduated from Jimma University, studying the agronomic, utilization, nutritive and feeding value of desho grass (Pennisetum pedicellatum) in North-western and Southern Ethiopia. Continue reading
To resist the droughts that decimate rural livelihoods, researchers and farmers in Tanzania are testing different forage grass and legume species to discover which management and grass combinations can boost the quantity and quality of forages in local conditions. Continue reading
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Agriculture Quality Research Laboratory of the Ethiopian Institute for Agriculture Research (EIAR) recently jointly conducted a training workshop on stationary and mobile Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) use and application in Addis Ababa. Continue reading
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Ibadan, Nigeria, recently developed a technology to process fresh cassava peels into high quality cassava peel products with better shelf life and nutrient profiles acceptable to the feed industry. The activity is an outcome of a multi-centre CGIAR collaboration including ILRI, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) … Continue reading
New varieties of high-quality, drought-resistant forage grasses could boost milk production by 40 percent and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for struggling East African dairy farmers, according to a new analysis by experts at CIAT. Continue reading
Watch three animated videos explaining key messages from the milkIT (enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and Tanzania through feed innovation) project. Continue reading
Recently, the Nicaraguan Institute for Agricultural Technology (INTA) organized the “First International Congress on Challenges and Opportunities to Increase National Livestock Productivity” in Managua, Nicaragua. Highlighting the collaboration of CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish (L&F) within the model of collaboration based on alliances, dialogue, and consensus promoted by the country’s public sector, members of CIAT’s forages team presented the Program’s contributions to the development of the region’s livestock sector. Continue reading
Since the late 1980s, CIAT scientists have been breeding Brachiaria with the goal of developing superior apomictic hybrids for the tropical forage market. Brachiaria has a number of advantages over other forage grasses: highly nutritious, it can help farmers increase the productivity of their cattle, while also capturing carbon dioxide and restoring poor soils – particularly when used in silvopastoral systems. Steady advances to improve brachiaria have been made over the years using classical breeding methods. Recently, however, CIAT forage breeder Margaret Worthington has been looking to accelerate these gains through modern molecular breeding strategies. Continue reading
Established in 2005, the selection of Forages for the Tropics (SoFT) tool enables users to identify forage species suitable for specific climates, soils, and farming systems such as cut and carry, agroforestry, erosion control, beef, and dairy. Users can also view images of the plants and their use, search a database of scientific references with abstracts, and consult a glossary of botanical and management terms. Continue reading
Livestock provides an important complement to cereal farming-based livelihoods in South Asia and can increase incomes for millions of crop-livestock farmers. Continue reading
CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish 