Desmodium: A low-cost pasture for the eastern Cape coastal region.

Abstract

Desmodium intortum is well suited to the East London Coastal area for beef production under dryland conditions. Although slow to establish, satisfactory livestock production is maintained under a low fertilizer regime. Experimental results indicate stocking rates for maximum production per animal and per hectare of 0, 8 and 8, 2 steers (250 kg)/ha respectively. A cost comparison between a highly fertilized Star grass pasture and a Desmodium pasture show that, while the gross margins at current beef prices favour Star grass (R2 882 and R2 052/ha/yr respectively), the returns per rand capital expenditure differ significantly (R2, 29 and R10, 01 respectively) in favour of Desmodium.Language: English

Keywords: Animal production; Beef production; botany; Desmodium intortum; dryland; east london; Eastern Cape; economic evaluation; fertilizer; grasses; gross margin; Growth requirements; livestock; Management; maximum production; pasture; Pastures; Production costs; south africa; star grass; stocking rate; stocking rates