Forage Availability and Quality, and Feeding Behaviour of Indigenous Goats Grazing in a Mediterranean Silvopastoral System

The aim of this study was to study the feeding behaviour of indigenous goats and the selection drivers of different plant species in a Mediterranean forest rangeland. To achieve this goal, the seasonal variations in terms of forage availability and quality of ingested plant species were studied during three grazing seasons. In the same period, eight indigenous goats of Beni Arouss breed were selected to explore the seasonal changes in their browsing behaviour. Forage quality was determined by the hand-plucking technique. The results showed a wide seasonal variation in forage availability and quality, and feeding behaviour. Woody species were more selected independently of the season (p < 0.001). The crude protein content varied from 53.3 g/kg of dry mater (DM) for Erica arborea in summer to 197 g/kg DM for Calicotome villosa in autumn (p < 0.001). Despite the high condensed tannins content in selected shrubs, they were highly consumed. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) had recorded the highest contents in herbaceous during spring. Shrubs and trees contain the lowest levels of IVOMD (<500 g/kg) and ME (<7.2 MJ/kg) during autumn and summer. It is concluded that seasonal changes in forage availability and quality did not necessarily affect the indigenous goats’ preference. These findings could help goat herders to develop feeding and grazing systems while increasing the performance of goats in the Mediterranean silvopastoral system.

Beef cattle behavior in integrated crop-livestock systems

ABSTRACT: Temperament often depends on the animals’ reaction to people, social and environmental conditions. However, little is known about the influence of changes in the pasture environment on cattle temperament. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate if an animals’ temperament changes in response to being kept in a silvopastoral system. This study evaluated the effect of the tree components in a pasture environment on the temperament of any grazing cattle in integrated crop-livestock systems. A total of thirty-two Angus steers were allocated to either a livestock (L) or livestock-forest (LF) system and observed from December 2019 to February 2020. Each animal was evaluated for their reactivity score, flight speed, and number of vocalizations. The statistical model established that the animals were random effects and that the treatments and periods were fixed effects using the MIXED procedure, and the means were compared using LSMeans. The flight speed and number of vocalizations were similar in both production systems, while the reactivity score was lower for animals kept in the LF system when compared to those in the L system. This suggested that the LF system interferes positively with the animal’s temperament in relation to the L production system. However, additional research is needed to understand the influence of the production system on animal temperament.

Foraging behaviour and dry matter intake by lambs in a silvopastoral system

Dry matter intake, nutritional contribution of forage to the diet and Lamb foraging behavior were assessed in a silvopastoral system. Twelve Pelibuey female lambs (6.3 months of age, 23.74 ± 3.5 kg live weight), were randomly assigned to two treatments: pastures of Digitaria eriantha (monoculture) or pastures of D. eriantha and Guazuma ulmifolia (silvopastoral). During a 15 day period, lambs foraged individually in 20.14 m2 paddocks each day; time spent grazing and browsing were assessed by scan sampling; dry matter intake was estimated (day 11-15), using the chromic oxide (Cr2O3) method, and metabolizable energy (ME) and protein (CP) ingested by the lambs were estimated. Data analyses were performed using a complete randomized design (dry matter intake) and a repeated-measure design (ME and CP, foraging time) with factorial treatment structure of season (windy and dry) and pasture (monoculture and silvopastoral). Voluntary intake (season*treatment interaction, p = 0.015) was lower in the windy-silvopastoral treatment (448.5±38.2 g day-1) than in the other treatments (625.8±38.2 to 680.5±38.2 g day-1). The contribution of ME (719.7-1190.2 kcal·day-1) and CP (53.7-100.7 g day-1) was low to cover the lamb requirements in all treatments, because forage availability and dry matter intake were low. Lambs dedicated from 6.65±0.26 to 7.50 ± 0.26 h to foraging; time spent grazing was longer that browsing in the silvopastoral system (p < 0.0001). The time dedicated to foraging, intake, and nutritive quality of forage from in both pasture types did not provide nutrients and energy during any season for maintenance of the lambs.

Carcass and meat characteristics of Dorper x Santa Ines lambs finished in pasture, silvopastoral system, and feedlot

The objective of this work was to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of carcass and meat of Dorper x Santa Ines crossbred lambs finished in a silvopastoral system, pasture or feedlot. Twenty-four non-castrated male lambs were used (8 animals in each production system). The experimental design was completely randomized, with three production systems and eight replications. The production systems were: pasture of Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana, without shading + feed supplementation (Pasture); pasture of Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana, with natural shading provided by the native laurel tree (Cordia trichotoma) + feed supplementation (Silvopastoral) and feedlot. The cold carcass weight, empty body weight, cold carcass yield, fat color, fat consistency and carcass compactness index showed significant differences (P < 0.05) between production systems, with higher values observed in the feedlot. The shoulder weight and the percentage of shoulder components (bones, muscle, fat and others), did not significantly differ (P > 0.05) between production systems. The pasture silvopastoral systems presented similar results and also, when contrasted with the feedlot system, did not influence the parameters related to meat. Feedlot provided better quantitative and qualitative characteristics to the lambs’ carcassess.

Silvopastoral System in Morocco: Focus on Their Importance, Strategic Functions, and Recent Changes in the Mediterranean Side

In the Mediterranean basin, the silvopastoral system has always been part of the regional economy. Silvopastoral areas contribute significantly to the development of the ecological and socio-economic factors of territorial sustainability. However, little attention has been paid to reviewing the importance, historical evolution, socio-economic conditions, and climate change impact of the southern Mediterranean region of northern Morocco. This review casts light on research on the silvopastoral systems in Morocco with a focus on the Mediterranean side. Sixty-nine peer-reviewed publications were selected for this systematic review. The findings revealed that silvopastoral areas play a very important role in animal feeding in Morocco. Animals are managed traditionally on these woodlands where they graze throughout the year. The silvopastoral system has undergone several changes over recent decades. These changes have had a direct impact on ecosystems, causing a decline in biodiversity, forest degradation, and an increase in land use at the expense of silvopastoral areas, mainly in the Mediterranean region of northern Morocco. Consequently, the sustainability of the silvopastoral systems would undoubtedly be negatively affected. The review finishes with some crucial strategies and propositions that could be encouraged to support sustainable management actions of silvopastoral resources. In the conclusion, we outline the need to assess the realistic socio-economic and ecological benefits of silvopastoral systems to promote their sustainable development.