Potentials of Moringa stenopetala foliage as livestock feed, Southern Ethiopia

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of the study area.

Table 1. Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents.

Parameters			Study zones			Overall (n = 379)	χ2	p-value
			Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)
Sex of HHs (%)		M	91.94	90.40	90.00	90.77	0.31	0.855
		F	8.06	9.60	10.0	9.23
			(Mean ± SE)	(Mean ± SE)	(Mean ± SE)	(Mean ± SE)
Age of HHs (yrs)			48.97 ± 1.05^a	44.7 ± 0.93^b	41.85 ± 1.03^c	45.18 ± 0.6		0.000
Family size (P)			7.56 ± 0.23^a	6.9 ± 0.24^ab	6.8 ± 0.27^b	7.08 ± 0.14		0.057
Average no of family in age /yrs	≤5 yrs		1.1 ± 0.09^b	0.7 ± 0.09^c	1.48 ± 0.09^a	1.1 ± 0.05		0.000
	5 < x < 15 yrs		1.14 ± 0.13^b	1.83 ± 0.15^a	1.67 ± 0.12^a	1.55 ± 0.08		0.001
	15 ≤ x ≤ 45 yrs		4.5 ± 0.19^a	3.78 ± 0.18^b	2.88 ± 0.12^c	3.71 ± 0.1		0.000
	>46 yrs		0.77 ± 0.08	0.54 ± 0.07	0.69 ± 0.1	0.67 ± 0.05		0.134

n = number of respondents; ^a–c means with different superscripts within a row are significantly different (p < 0.05); yrs – years, P – person SE – standard error.

Table 2. Level of education of the interviewed households.

Level of education (%)	Study zones			Overall (n = 379)	χ2	p-value
	Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)
Illiterate	16.13	22.40	59.23	32.98	98.81	0.000
Religious Education	0.81	0.80	3.08	1.58
Basic Education	8.06	17.60	13.08	12.93
Junior Secondary	47.58	27.20	10.77	28.23
Elementary School	8.87	7.20	7.69	7.92
High School	14.52	19.20	1.54	11.61
Higher Education	4.03	5.60	4.62	4.75

n = number of respondents.

Table 3. Mean ± SE landholding (ha) and use patterns of the households.

Land allocation (ha)	Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)	Overall (n = 379)	p-value
Homestead /backyard	0.19 ± 0.01^b	0.24 ± 0.02^a	0.08 ± 0.01^c	0.17 ± 0.01	0.000
Crop production	1.31 ± 0.07^a	0.82 ± 0.09^b	1.08 ± 0.1^a	1.07 ± 0.05	0.000
Forage production	0.01 ± 0.0^b	0.02 ± 0.0^b	0.07 ± 0.01^a	0.04 ± 0.0	0.000
Private grazing land	0.02 ± 0.01^b	0.03 ± 0.01^ab	0.04 ± 0.01^a	0.03 ± 0.0	0.017
Forest land	0.0 ± 0.0^b	0.01 ± 0.0^b	0.03 ± 0.0^a	0.01 ± 0.0	0.000
Total land	1.54 ± 0.08^a	1.11 ± 0.1^b	1.3 ± 0.11^ab	1.32 ± 0.06	0.006

n = number of respondents; ^a,b,c means with different superscripts within a row are significantly different (p < 0.05); ha – hectare, SE – standard error.

Table 4. Livestock species and ownership (mean ± SE) of the households.

Livestock composition	Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)	Overall (n = 379)	p-value
Cattle	3.80 ± 0.29^a	4.31 ± 0.21^a	2.52 ± 0.18^b	3.53 ± 0.14	0.000
Sheep	0.04 ± 0.01^b	0.08 ± 0.01^b	0.32 ± 0.03^a	0.15 ± 0.01	0.000
Goat	0.28 ± 0.04^b	0.1 ± 0.01^c	0.63 ± 0.06^a	0.34 ± 0.03	0.000
Poultry	0.05 ± 0.01^b	0.07 ± 0.01^ab	0.08 ± 0.01^a	0.07 ± 0.00	0.001
Equine*	0.1 ± 0.02^b	0.53 ± 0.03^a	0.02 ± 0.01^c	0.21 ± 0.02	0.000
Total livestock	4.26 ± 0.32^b	5.09 ± 0.22^a	3.57 ± 0.24^b	4.30 ± 0.15	0.000

n = number of respondents; TLU – tropical livestock unit; SE = standard error; ^{a, b, c} means with different superscripts within a row are significantly different (p < 0.05); *equine included horse, mule, and donkey.

Table 5. Feed shortage and coping strategies.

Variables (%)		Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)	Overall (n = 379)	χ2	p-value
Is there a feed shortage	Yes	96.8	100	96.9	97.9	4.029	0.133
	No	3.23	0.00	3.08	2.11
If yes, coping mechanisms						108.343	<0.001
Rely on stored feed		5.65	25.6	42.3	24.8
Rely on farm residues		69.4	74.4	40.0	60.9
Rely on the market		4.03	0.00	13.8	6.07
Rely on natural pasture		21.0	0.00	3.85	8.18

n = number of respondents.

Table 6. Purposes of planting Moringa stenopetala.

Purposes	Respondents rank in the study zone						Overall (n = 379)
	Gamo (n = 124)		Gofa (n = 125)		Konso (n = 130)
	Index	Rank	Index	Rank	Index	Rank	Index	Rank
For food value	0.15	1st	0.15	1st	0.15	1st	0.15	1st
For feed value	0.12	3rd	0.14	2nd	0.13	2nd	0.13	3rd
For sale (income generation)	0.13	2nd	0.13	3rd	0.13	3rd	0.13	2nd
For medicinal value	0.10	4th	0.10	4th	0.11	4th	0.11	4th
For water purification	0.04	11th	0.03	11th	0.05	10th	0.04	11th
For alley cropping	0.07	8th	0.04	10th	0.06	7th	0.06	10th
For honey production & purifier	0.02	12th	0.01	12th	0.04	12th	0.03	12th
For live fence (boundary planting)	0.10	5th	0.08	7th	0.09	5th	0.09	5th
For fuel wood	0.06	10th	0.08	6th	0.05	9th	0.06	8th
For windbreaks	0.06	9th	0.07	8th	0.06	8th	0.06	9th
For soil erosion control & fertility	0.08	6th	0.07	9th	0.05	11th	0.07	7th
For beauty and shade	0.08	7th	0.09	5th	0.07	6th	0.08	6th

Figure 2. Ability of farmers on identifying different types Moringa stenopetala that found in the area.

Figure 3. Identified varieties of Moringa stenopetala: Photo captured from Konso zone.

Table 7. Availability, yield production, and harvesting of Moringa stenopetala.

Variables (%)	Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)	Overall (n = 379)	χ2	p-value
Season of availability and harvesting
Both dry and wet season	100	100	100	100
The season in which biomass/yield production and availability are higher					377.97	<0.001
Dry season	66.9	0.00	100	56.2
Wet season	10.5	99.2	0.00	36.2
Both season	22.6	0.80	0.00	7.65
Harvesting frequency per week					48.24	<0.001
1–2 times	14.5	29.6	20.0	21.4
3–4 times	13.7	0.00	8.46	7.39
5–6 times	26.6	4.0	19.2	16.6
Daily	45.2	66.4	52.3	54.6

Figure 4. Plant population of Moringa stenopetala at different land-use patterns.

Table 8. Average number of Moringa stenopetala trees per household in study area.

Presence of Moringa stenopetala tree		Gamo (n = 124)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 130)	Overall (n = 379)	p-value
Total no of trees		19.7 ± 1.47^a	21.1 ± 1.46^a	14.7 ± 1.43^b	18.5 ± 0.84	0.005
Based on maturity/ age	1–5 years	2.99 ± 0.36	3.14 ± 0.36	3.78 ± 0.35	3.3 ± 0.21	0.248
	6–10 years	4.82 ± 0.49^a,b	5.64 ± 0.49^a	4.05 ± 0.48^b	4.84 ± 0.28	0.071
	> 10 years	11.8 ± 0.92^a	12.2 ± 0.92^a	6.71 ± 0.9^b	10.25 ± 0.53	<0.001

^a,b means with different superscripts within a row are significantly different (p < 0.05).

Table 9. Mean (±SEM) leaf yields (kg DM/tree) of Moringa stenopetala at 1.2 meter height.

Age of tree / Order of maturity	Yields/Tree (kg DM/Tree)			Overall (n = 30)	p-value
	Gamo (n = 10)	Gofa (n = 10)	Konso (n = 10)
1–5 years	0.96 ± 0.051^b	1.86 ± 0.051^a	0.93 ± 0.051^b	1.25 ± 0.03	<0.001
6–10 years	1.73 ± 0.051^b	2.11 ± 0.051^a	1.73 ± 0.051^b	1.86 ± 0.029	<0.001
Above 10 years	2.89 ± 0.069^b	3.24 ± 0.069^a	2.89 ± 0.069^b	3.01 ± 0.04	0.005

^a,b means with different superscripts within a row are significantly different (p < 0.05).

Figure 5. Perception of farmers on supplementation of Moringa stenopetala as livestock feed.

Table 10. Utilization practices and favored parts of Moringa stenopetala (MS) as livestock feed.

Variables (%)	Gamo (n = 110)	Gofa (n = 125)	Konso (n = 127)	Overall (n = 362)	χ2	p-value
Livestock species fed MS					48.11	<0.001
Cattle	52.7	64.8	27.6	48.1
Sheep	5.45	0.00	15.8	7.18
Goat	41.8	35.2	56.7	44.8
Mainly supplied parts of MS					68.72	<0.001
Leaves	76.4	93.6	47.2	72.1
Twigs	23.6	6.40	52.8	27.9
Form of supplementation					4.27	0.118
As fresh leaves & twigs	96.4	100	97.6	98.1
As processed feed	3.64	0.00	2.36	1.93

Table 11. Indigenous knowledge of farmers on medicinal value of Moringa stenopetala (MS).

Parts of MS	Indigenous knowledge of farmers in utilizing MS
Leaves	To treat common colds, high blood pressure, stomach cramps, arthritis.
	To download a guest child for cattle.
	The soup of leaves is drunk to treat diabetes.
	When it is pressed against a wound, it dries up.
	It heals the sick eye. They especially use the leaves for red eyes.
Roots and Barks	By nose relieves eye pain, colds, and headaches.
	Used to treat malaria
	It cures morbidity and epilepsy
	In cattle, they hit the stem with a fork and tie it around their mouths to cure lesion (qafuri in Gofigna language)
	For stomach cramps and bloating, the fluid is swallowed
	Prevent snake venom and expel snakes from homesteads
	For a man and an animal designed for snakes
Trunk & Barks	Beat the upper part and tied it to the mouths of the cattle to cure qafuri
Branches	To raise a stranger (from cattle) or expel retained placenta
Pod	It cure trypanosome

Data availability statement

Data will be made available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.