Abstract

HERRERA-TOSCANO, Javier Antonio  and  CARMENATE-FIGUEREDO, Oscar. Selection of local resources for sheep feeding in the Las Tunas municipality, Cuba. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2018, vol.41, n.3, pp.176-182. ISSN 0864-0394.

The objective of this study was to select the main available local resources, with potentialities for sheep feeding, in the Las Tunas municipality Las Tunas province, Cuba. The method of expert consultation was applied, to a panel of 26 members. The local resources were classified into non-forage and forage ones. Their evaluation was based on different criteria: annual availability, total supply cost, nutritional value, conservation time and cost, adaptability to local edaphoclimatic conditions, production in the dry season, resistance to pests and diseases, and production without irrigation and fertilization. Nine locally available resources were selected for sheep feeding, 66 % of which were forage ones. The highest value in forage resources corresponded to Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit (4,68 ± 0,02) and the lowest, to Moringa oleifera Lam (3,18 ± 0,87). In non-forage resources, calcium carbonate had the highest value (4,75 ± 0,75) and distillery vinasse, the lowest value (3,0 ± 0,10). Regarding the integral evaluation of the forage resources, the highest values corresponded to Saccharum officinarum L., L. leucocephala and the Pennisetum varieties: 4,54; 4,51 and 4,43, respectively; and the lowest ones to Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray, M. oleifera and Morus alba L.: 2,99; 2,66 and 2,64, respectively. It is concluded that in the Las Tunas municipality there are between five and six resources with potentialities for sheep production, among which calcium carbonate as non-forage resource and L. leucocephala as forage resource stood out.

Keywords : evaluation; animal production; food security.

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