Discusses the use of forage legumes in the contexts of seasonality of other feeds particularly natural pastures and crop residues, the seasonality in animal movements, the competitiveness for land and labour of forage legumes, and the complementarity of forage legumes with other feeds in smallholder as well as pastoral production systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Ends with research implications & recommendations.

ILCA acknowledged the potential for increased animal agriculture in the subhumid zone of West Africa by establishing a research base at Kaduna in northern Nigeria. FulBe agropastoralists were selected at the target group because they own most of the cattle in the zone and cattle are the predominant livestock, at least in terms of biomass and traded products. After consultation with experts, farm surveys, and a simulation analysis, ILCA chose to focus the research on overcoming the dry-season nutrition constraint.

Outlines the principles and practices of fodder-bank establishment and management in the sub-humid zones of West Africa. Summarises data that indicate the benefit of fodder banks to subsequent crops.

A short-term improved fallow system based on forage legumes is suggested for crop-livestock farming systems in subhumid West Africa targeted to enhance soil fertility and dry season feed for cattle. At two sites, 13 legume species were compared with the natural fallow vegetation, the nutritive value of which typically fails to meet cattle requirements during the dry season. Establishment, dry matter yield and nutritive value of leguminous herbage in the year of establishment were evaluated as well as regeneration of legumes after a cropping phase.

Grazing reserves in Nigeria are areas set aside for the use of pastoralists and are intended to be the foci of livestock development. The stated purpose of grazing reserves is the settlement of nomadic pastoralists they offer security of tenure as an inducement to sedentarization through the provision of land for grazing and permanent water. This paper reviews problems associated with grazing reserves and offers suggestions to make them more productive and relevant to the needs of the intended beneficiaries.

What’s the future for Africa’s livestock herders as our climate changes, becomes less predictable, heats up? How can scientific research help remote pastoral communities? Among the poorest of the world’s poor, herders supply milk and meat not only for themselves but for large numbers of other poor people. Although their animals produce few of the greenhouse gasses harming the earth, these people will be among those most hurt by the climate changes we expect. Population growth and land degradation are already causing problems over much of the continent’s traditional rangelands.

Reviews differences between crop production and pastoral production, considering their effects on research possibilities; and describes basic methods that may be used to collect household level data, esp. informal & formal surveys, enumeration and the use of questionnaires.