Browsing by Author "Mtengeti Ephraim J."

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Effects of fertilizer application and season on the yield and quality of natural pasture at Magadu Dairy Farm, Sokoine University of Agriculture
(Rangeland Society of Tanzania (RST), 2025) Tarimo Venance S.; Mtengeti Ephraim J.
More than 90% of Tanzania national ruminant livestock herd thrive on natural pastures. Improvement of natural forage productivity as well as its quality, would have a significant impact on the production of this national ruminant livestock herd. Fertilizer application as a management tool to improve tropical natural pastures has rarely been reported. A study was therefore conducted to test fertilizer as a management tool to improve natural pastures on an existing one hectare of mixed natural pastures, mainly of natural grasses at Magadu Dairy Farm of Sokoine University of Agriculture. The main aim of this study was to find out if fertilizer application can be to improve the yield and quality of the natural pastures. The one-hectare plot was divided into two sub- plots. The first sub-plot was used in the short rains, while the second sub-plot was used in the long rains as the study area falls under bimodal rainfall regime. The pasture in each sub- plot was mowed down at the beginning of each rain season and thereafter the sub-plot was again divided into two equal sub-sub- plots. One sub-sub-plot was applied with a mixture of nitrogenous (174 kg N/ha) and phosphorus (92 kg P/ha) fertilizers at once and the second was a control. Pastures at both rainfall regimes were harvested at 50 % flowering and thus, pasture regrowth was harvested at 90 days old in the short rains those in the short rains was harvested at 65 days old. Dry mater yield estimation was conducted by throwing a quadrat of 0.25 m 2 randomly ten times at an equal distance along the two diagonals of each sub-sub plot. Pasture samples were collected and sent to the laboratory for oven drying, chemical composition analysis and determination of in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility (IVDMD and IVOMD). Fertilizers application increased significantly (P≤ 0.01) the natural pastures dry matter yield. regardless of the rain seasons. Fertilizers improved crude protein of natural pastures significantly (P≤0.001). Short rain season natural pastures had significantly (P≤ 0.001) higher NDF contents than those of long rain season regardless of fertilizer application. The energy contents ME (MJ/kg DM) for both fertilized and unfertilized long rain forages were significantly (P≤ 0.001) higher than all pastures of the short rain. Long rain fertilized pastures had significantly (P≤ 0.001) higher IVOMD than unfertilized forages of the same season. In the short rain fertilized forages had significantly (P≤ 0.001) higher IVOMD than unfertilized pasture. The long rain fertilized forages had significantly (P≤ 0.001) higher IVOMD than all other pastures. From this study it can be concluded that fertilizer application significantly improves both the quantity and quality of natural pastures and that fertilizers can be applied at any season as long as there is sufficient soil moisture. However, harvesting at 50% flowering compromised forage quality in short rains due to extended period to flowering stage of growth as compared to long rains.
Rangeland resources use and monitoring for sustainable development in Tanzania
(Rangeland Society of Tanzania (RST), 2025) Mtengeti Ephraim J.
Tanzania rangelands covering nearly 50% of the total land mass of 94 mill ha is endowed with a range of natural resources that provide diverse goods and services. Rangelands provide a number of ecosystem services including clean air, consumable products such as red meat, milk, fiber, water and medicinal plants. Also, they non-consumptive services such as recreation and tourism and acts as a carbon dioxide sink and thus sustaining economic development of the country. The rangeland water catchment areas of Tanzania provide water that generates over 55 % of Tanzania’s hydropower. The livestock sector employs about 50% of her population, equivalent to 4.6 million households. The travel and tourism compititiveness index of 2021 by the World Economic Forum ranked Tanzania 1st in Africa and 12th worldwide regarding the quality of its nature- based tourism resources. As a result, tourism value chain contributes nearly 17 % of the country GDP and is a third lagest of direct employement sector with over 850,000 workers. Tourism has been accounted for over one-quater of the country ‘s foreign earnings in 2019, representing USD 2,605 mill. Production of red meat from cattle, goat and sheep by 2023 stood at 544,983.8 metric tons and export was about 4,577.5 tons. Despite the economic benefits of these rangeland resources to the country, they are faced with a number of threats that undermine their productivity, namely: agricultural expansion, deforestation, wildfires, overgrazing and invasive alien species. These threats emanate mainly from the lack of coherent approaches to planning and decision making for sustainable utilization of the available rangeland resources. Haphazard development of water points (dams, pans and boreholes) in wet season and/or dry season grazing areas is an example of malpractice due to improper planning as it attracts spontaneous sedentarization of pastoral communities and year-round grazing that result in rangeland degradation. Exploitation or rationing of rangeland resources to uses or users has in most cases not been based on their availability or condition (healthy) to satisfy needs. Reserved rangeland areas for grazing and wildlife conservation lack nationally organized range reources inventory and monitoring because of the lack of enough employed well trained personel to carry out this valuable task. Sustainable utilization of rangeland resources entail uses that conserve soil, water, desirable plant genetic resources, environmentally non-degrading, technically appropriate, economically viable in terms of grazing animal productivity, and socially acceptable. Thus, sustainable use of rangeland resources requires access to reliable baseline information. Data provided by rangeland resources inventory and monitoring gives a variety of information, including; the distribution, productivity and composition of natural vegetation; rainfall and temperature regimes; edaphic and hydrological data, grazing land utilization and wild and domesticated animals; land tenure and ownership; and socio-economic information and marketing. A thourough interpretation of such information can lead to an informed decision and a guide to appoprate policy and regulation in allocation and use of rangeland resources for sustainable economic development. This paper elaborates the importance of guided rangeland resources use through inventory and monitoring for sustainable economic development in Tanzania.