This thesis is an investigation of local and scientific knowledge about tree fodders used to supplement livestock diets in Nepal. The study was conducted at five sites: two remote sites with poor accessibility to markets and three sites with good market access in the eastern mid hills of Nepal. On the basis of surveys and repeated measurements, qualitative and quantitative information was derived on nutrient intake, animal productivity, farmland tree fodders and other local feed resources. This study aimed to build on knowledge of tree fodder, to provide a picture of how the farmers manage animals
and local feed resources and plan strategies to mitigate fodder shortage in the dry season.
The study also critically examined the correspondences between local fodder evaluation methods and evaluation of fodders in scientifically conducted feeding trials.
The relative importance of different fodder resources used in livestock diets (tree fodder, grass, dry roughages and local concentrate) was influenced by a number of factors, most notably season and site. Total daily dry matter intake for large ruminants was high compared to the western standard. Overall intake of nutrients based on laboratory analysis of fodder suggested lower than recommended rates of intake of protein and energy which was especially true in sites with low market accessibility. In evaluating tree fodder, farmers considered animal factors (palatability, intake, digestibility, nutrient availability, control of animal behaviour) and socio-cultural factors (fodder, firewood, type of manure produced and other household uses), making evaluation of fodder quality complex. The knowledge system of farmers appeared to be crucial in
making decisions about the management and use of available fodder particularly during the dry season.
In addition to the posilopan (high nutritive value) and obhanopan (dry and warm) attributes of fodder, which have been previously recorded by other authors, this study recorded another term, 'adilopan ' (literally duration of appetite satisfaction), which was broadly used in association with the term obhanopan when evaluating fodder quality.
The study revealed that palatability was associated with farmers' chiso-obhano (cold-warm) characteristics of tree fodder. These attributes were not necessarily good or bad qualities but were seasonally dependent. Feeding experiments showed that obhano fodder was less preferred by goats whilst cattle and buffalo showed no marked tendency of
preference. Likewise, farmers' perceptions of adilopan generally agreed with the animal studies as adilo fodder resulted in a longer duration of appetite satisfaction in the animals.
A strong negative association between adilopan and potential degradability (gas production) also supported this finding. The posilopan of fodders was generally explainable in terms of animal responses (increased milk and butterfat yield with more posilo fodders). Posilopan showed better correspondence with in-vitro measurement of the protein fractions available to ruminants than with other protein fractions. The research demonstrated that farmers in the eastern mid hills possessed considerable explanatory knowledge in their classification, ranking and evaluation of tree fodders. The biological
bases of their knowledge for evaluating tree fodder quality have been to some extent
confirmed in terms of effects on animal performance.
Further research is suggested into animal responses to feeds, tannins and their detoxification processes and the improvement of dry season feeding using existing feeds and feeding systems through the integration of indigenous and scientific knowledge of tree fodder.