Hay and Straw Conservation for Small-Scale Farming and Pastoral Conditions

Hay is the oldest and most important conserved fodder, and it can be made with simple equipment, manually or with mechanisation. Many small-scale farmers make hay and store crop residues to carry livestock through periods of shortage. Practices vary in different parts of the world, but follow some basic principles. This publication discusses hay, hay crops and crop residues in a wide range of situations. It deals with the haymaking process, cultivation of hay crops and management of natural hay fields as well as the harvest and conservation of crop residues as animal feed; a series of case studies from Asia, Africa and Latin America illustrates how hay and crop residues can be integrated into production systems. Addresses technicians, advisers and extension workers dealing with small-scale farming, traditional sectors and development projects, and includes over 60 colour figures, a bibliography, a glossary and an index.