Describes techniques of long-and short-term measurements of changes in vegetation and feed resources in pastoral systems, with particular reference to sampling techniques and costs of the various methods.
Examines the need and methods for studying livestock markets and routinely collect time series data on prices of livestock at local, regional and terminal markets, outlining a method for setting up a systematic collection and analysis of livestock market information.
Discusses ways of collecting livestock data, mentioning the usefulness and techniques of low-level aerial surveys to gather information on animal numbers; and methods of recording weight changes and milk yields.
Discusses the need for data on voluntary offtake & acquisition of livestock in pastoral production systems, and considers methods through which desired data can be collected, particularly multiple-visit, and single-visit progeny history technique.
Discusses livestock water needs and the variation of water dependence in dif. circumstance, mentioning body water functions; physiological aspects of water balance; channels of gain & loss; and factors affecting water balance, particularly energy production, thermoregulation and water availability.
Discusses how low level aerial survey can be used to diagnose constraints within pastoral systems and the relative cost effectiveness of such operations, with particular reference to flight & sample procedures and information collection and analysis; presents some results from low-altitutde aerial survey undertaken by ILCA in Nigeria, Mali, Niger and Ethiopia.
Selection of presentations made at the workshop on "Pastoral systems research in sub-Saharan Africa", describing the framework used by ILCA for pastoral systems research (PSR), examining methods used in the descriptive and diagnostic stage of PSR, and showing how the design and testing procedures are followed in practice; with particular reference to low-altitude aerial surveys, livestock surve
Presents a collection of conference papers defining pastoral systems research; the survey and diagnostic phase of pastoral systems research; ILCA's experience in remote sensing techniques and aerial surveys; survey of vegetation resources; livestock productivity and animal nutrition; pastoral production strategies, wealth effects, household studies, and labour data collection as well as livesto
Describes the Ethiopian highlands assessing their potential for improved agricultural production; reports ILCA's studies on the traditional smallholder production system of the highlands; and analyzes productivity aspects of the system's crop and livestock components.
Analyzes statistically, results of weighings made on two cattle groups at the Sarite cooperative ranch in the southern rangelands of Ethiopia & used as a fattening area to determine effects of place of origin, herdsmen group and sex (bull or castrate) on initial liveweight, weight gain & performance of animals, their purchase & sales prices and profits realised and calculates optimu
Discusses pastoral systems research (PSR) within the framework of the experience of livestock and pastoral development in Africa during the last 50 years, analyzing data on livestock population & productivity in relation to the welfare of pastoralists; and examines previous efforts in pastoral development relevant to PSR approach.
Discusses the importance of wealth differences among producers in traditional pastoral production systems, describing a rapid method, dependent on informants, for determining the wealth rank of producers within a given community in order to stratify a population of producers before sampling.