Integrated Tree Crops–Ruminants Systems

Abstract

The integration of ruminants with tree crops (such as coconuts, oil palm and rubber) is neglected and undervalued among ruminant production systems. As a consequence, a potential means of increasing productivity from animals is being overlooked at a time when the supplies of animal proteins lag well behind projected requirements throughout the developing countries. The principal advantage of integration is the demonstration of total farm productivity and sustainable agriculture in the context of efficient natural resource management, together with attendant benefits of reduced weeding and fertilizer costs, improved soil fertility due to the return of dung and urine and value addition to the tree crop. These aspects are discussed with particular reference to the potential of integrating ruminants with oil-palm cultivation. Past research and development efforts indicate that these have focused mainly on characterization of the environment under oil palm and agronomic evaluation of herbage, suggesting the need for a major shift towards improved animal performance, assessment of the beneficial effects on soil and oil-palm yields, management regimes, and analyses of economic benefits. A major advantage of oil-palm cultivation is the availability of native herbage in the understorey of the trees, which provides a large proportion of the maintenance needs of the grazing animal in addition to a variety of principal and by-product feeds, promoting sustained in situ feeding and intensive production, reduced cost of production, and the expansion of feed-milling operations. Among these, oil-palm fronds, palm-press fibre, palm-oil mill effluent and palm-kernel cake are especially important for feeding ruminants. Discussion focuses on factors influencing improved integrated oil-palm production systems, development implications, business model, and economic considerations that relate to national and regional opportunities for marketing beef. Wider application of integrated systems will require interdisciplinary approaches, institutional and policy support that can enhance increased animal productivity, value addition to oil-palm production, expansion of the area under integrated systems, demonstrable economic impact and sustainable agricultural production.