Browsing by Author "Samuels, Mogamat Igshaan"

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    Assessing the quality of forage for livestock in a semi-arid pastoral system in South Africa
    (University of the Western Cape, 2016) Amary, Nefza Mohamed; Boatwright, James S.; Samuels, Mogamat Igshaan; Hattas, D.; Cupido, C. F.
    This study evaluated the nutritional quality of the forage plants in Namaqualand Granite Renosterveld vegetation in the Kamiesberg uplands of the Leliefontein communal area, South Africa. Determining the quality of forages is one of the most important factors necessary for the effective management of rangelands as it impacts on the nutrient needs of animals and consequently, the grazing capacity in rangelands. The edible portions of various forage plants were collected in the wet and dry seasons in 2012 and 2013 after which the nutritional quality (mineral nutrient content; crude protein (CP); fibre, neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF); dry matter digestibility (DMD); dry matter intake (DMI); metabolizeable energy (ME); and relative forage value (RFV)) as well as the anti-nutritional quality (total phenolics (TP); condensed tannins (CT); and silicon (Si) concentrations) of the plants were determined. Plants were thereafter grouped into their respective growth forms: grasses (15 species), herbs (15 species), leaf succulents (17 species), non-succulents (134 species), reeds (7 species), trees (8 species) and stem succulents (2 species) for statistical analyses. There were generally only a few significant differences for each forage growth form, when comparing the nutritional and anti-nutritional qualities between the two seasons. Certain forage types such as leaf succulents were found to have a high nutritional value in terms of their mineral nutrient content, CP, DMD and ME , but were also found to contain high concentrations of one or more anti-nutritional factors. However, within each season, results showed that for both the nutritional quality and anti-nutritional quality, there was a significant difference between the different growth forms within each season. This suggests that both of these quality parameters are essential in order to draw meaningful conclusions regarding forage quality of these semi-arid rangeland plants. Further research is needed at the species level to determine what plant species are the most nutritious in terms of both nutritional and anti-nutritional quality in order to inform the potential production of these species on a commercial scale.
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    Patterns of resource use by livestock during and after drought in a communal rangeland in Namaqualand
    (University of the Western Cape, 2006) Samuels, Mogamat Igshaan; Allsop, Nicky; Faculty of Science
    Pastoralists in Africa have developed complex mechanisms by which they can alleviate the threat of drought. They practice mobility as one of the strategies to avoid the worst effects of natural stress and disperse grazing pressure. In the past in South Africa, the indigenous Nama people occupied large areas of land and moved around extensively to exploit seasonal differences in the availability of forage and water. With the settlement of the Europeans in the Cape the indigenous people lost most of their land to the colonists. The Nama people were, therefore, restricted to smaller rangelands and their patterns of rangeland use had to adapt to the spatial constraints. Descendants now herd livestock from semi-permanent stockposts that are scattered throughout the commons. Herders use a range of practices to manage their livestock. The aims of this study was to assess the agro-ecological knowledge of livestock keepers; assess the condition of the rangeland during drought; determine the herding strategies of herders during drought.
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    A survey on external (Ixodidae) and gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants on an arid communal rangeland in South Africa
    (University of Western Cape, 2020) Govender, Saloshnie Simone; Engelbrecht, Adriaan; Samuels, Mogamat Igshaan; Cupido1, Clement
    Parasites pose a major constraint on livestock farming. Its impacts are represented as transmission of disease to humans and economic costs for prevention and treatment as well as loss in terms of; livestock mortality and, lowered productivity. Although the impacts of parasitic loads can be decreased through proper management, extensive management systems are depended on external factors such as rainfall and forage availability, which, in its absence, promote malnutrition and therefore parasite susceptibility.