Species of forages utilized by farmers producing halal goats in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippines

Navarra GA, Salvaña FRP, Sepelagio EG, Sanchez CB, Besana CM, Manceras LJS, Bra SG. 2019. Species of forages utilized by farmers producing halal goats in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Philippines. Asian J Ethnobiol 2: 1-7. Local production of small ruminants necessitates forage assessment considering the fact that animals are typically fed with locally available plant species. This study was carried out to determine the species of plants used as forage by raisers producing halal goats in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), Philippines. Personal interview to the respondents producing halal goats was conducted and a questionnaire was used to determine species of forages. A total of eight municipalities were included in the survey, seven of which were from Maguindanao and one was from Lanao del Sur. Purposive sampling was used in the survey. A total of 47 respondents was interviewed based on the criteria: a.) a believer of Islam b) with 5 to 24 breeder does; and c.) willingness of the farm owner to participate in the survey. All respondents fall to these criteria were interviewed. Forage species including paragrass (Brachiaria mutica), carabao grass (Paspalum conjugatum), ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala), and kakawate (Gliricidia sepium) were used by all respondents in all sampling sites. Other species included malunggay (Moringa oleifera), banana (Musa balbisiana), stylo (Stylosanthes humilis), centrosema (Centrosema pubescens), langka (Artocarpus heterophyllus), pinto peanut (Arachis pintoi), napier (Pennisetum purpureum), barnyard grass (Echinochloa sp.), Guinea grass (Panicum maximum), indigofera (Indigofera tinctoria), calliandra (Calliandra calothrysus), katurai (Sesbania grandiflora) and rensonii (Desmodium rensonii). Only eleven percent (11%) of the respondents utilized improved and domesticated species of forages. Improved and domesticated forage species are plants commonly cultivated forage for livestock production. Some species of plants present in open vegetated areas like Erigeron canadensis, Sphagneticola trilobata, Ageratum conyzoides and Urena lobata were also consumed by goats according to the respondents. There were also plant-related toxicosis observed by the respondents caused by C. pubescens and U. lobata. Most of the respondents in BARMM are not utilizing improved and domesticated species of forages and rely on locally available forages present in rangeland. Most of them have limited knowledge on the nutritional requirements of goats. There is a need to enhance the understanding of farmers on the importance of proper forage selection and combination.

Effect of the seed coat on dormancy and germination in Stylosanthes humilis H. B. K. Seeds

Seed of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis H.B.K.) is known to exhibit a hard seed coat and when freshly harvested also show a physiological dormancy, however, the nature of the co-actions between seed coat and embryo growth that determine dormancy is poorly understood. In this study, physical dormancy of Townsville stylo seeds was not reduced during natural ageing at room temperature, in contrast to the physiological dormancy, which is gradually overcome during after-ripening. Furthermore, the permeability of seed coat was affected by scarification treatments as well as by low-pH solutions. Together, these data indicate that physical dormancy overcome of seed is prerequisite for radicle protrusion and physiological dormancy of Townsville stylo seeds contribute to its timing.

Fabaceae na Floresta Nacional (FLONA) de Assú, semiárido potiguar, nordeste do Brasil

Fabaceae é a família mais diversa na flora do Brasil, inclusive na Caatinga, principal região natural do nordeste brasileiro. Este trabalho consiste no estudo taxonômico da família Fabaceae na Floresta Nacional (FLONA) de Assú, município de Assú, estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Foram registradas 37 espécies distribuídas em 22 gêneros e 3 subfamílias: Caesalpinioideae (07 spp.), Mimosoideae (11 spp.) e Papilionoideae (19 spp.), das quais: Poincianella bracteosa, Mimosa camporum, Mimosa sensitiva, Galactia jussiaeana, Stylosanthes humilis e Vigna peduncularis representam novos registros para a flora do Estado. São apresentadas chaves para a separação das espécies, comentários sobre a taxonomia, dados de distribuição geográfica, floração e frutificação, além de ilustrações para as espécies.