Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2014.14174

Farmers' Perceptions and Knowledge of Cattle Adaptation to Heat Stress and Tick Resistance in the Eastern Cape, South Africa  

Katiyatiya, C.L.F. (Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare)
Muchenje, V. (Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare)
Mushunje, A. (Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Fort Hare)
Publication Information
Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences / v.27, no.11, 2014 , pp. 1663-1670 More about this Journal
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions and knowledge of farmers of heat stress and tick resistance in cattle. A cross-sectional survey was conducted and 110 farmers in four villages in the sour and sweet velds of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were interviewed. The associations among area (municipality), gender, age, level of education, employment and religion were computed using Chi-square tests. The majority of the respondents had on average 4 bulls, 4 cows, 4 heifers, 4 calves, and 4 oxen. Milk was considered as the major (28.3%) reason for keeping cattle. Most farmers owned non-descript (72.6%), and Nguni (45.3%) cattle because of their heat tolerance (54.7%), tick resistance (54.7%), and milking ability (28.2%) traits. Excessive panting (56.6%) and disease transmission (76%) were regarded as the major effects of heat stress and tick infestation in cattle, respectively. About 50% of the respondents agreed that hair length influences tick resistance and 47.17% considered coat colour when acquiring cattle. In the sampled areas, ticks were prevalent in the summer season (93%), and 77.36% of the respondents use acaricides every fortnight. Gall sickness was reported to be a major problem in the cattle herds by 36.79% of the respondents. Our results showed that farmers in the two municipalities had knowledge of cattle adaptation to heat stress and tick resistance.
Keywords
Herd Composition; Nguni; Non-descript Genotype; Season; Socio-demography;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 1  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 South African Explorer. 2014. http:\\www.saexplorer.co.za/southafrica/general/services.asp. Accessed January 29, 2014.
2 Tada, O., V. Muchenje, and K. Dzama. 2012. Monetary value, current roles, marketing options, and farmer concerns of communal Nguni cattle in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Afr. J. Bus. Manag. 6: 11304-11311.
3 Tada, O., V. Muchenje, and K. Dzama. 2013. Preferential traits for breeding Nguni cattle in low-input in-situ conservation production systems. Springerplus 2:195.   DOI   ScienceOn
4 Thornton, P. K. 2010. Livestock production: recent trends, future prospects. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B. Biol. Sci. 365:2853-2867.   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Muchenje, V., K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo, J. G. Raats, and P. E. Strydom. 2008a. Meat quality of Nguni, Bonsmara and Aberdeen Angus steers raised on natural pasture in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Meat Sci. 79:20-28.   DOI   ScienceOn
6 Muchenje, V., K. Dzama, M. Chimonyo, J. G. Raats, and P. E. Strydom. 2008b. Tick susceptibility and its effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nguni, Bonsmara and Angus steers raised on natural pasture. Animal 2:298-304.
7 Musemwa, L., A. Mushunje, M. Chimonyo, and C. Mapiye. 2010. Low cattle market off-take rates in communal production systems of South Africa: causes and mitigation strategies. J. Sustain. Dev. Afr. 12:209-226.
8 Ndebele, J. J., V. Muchenje, C. Mapiye, M. Chimonyo, L. Musemwa, and T. Ndlovu. 2007. Cattle breeding management practises in the Gwayi smallholder farming area of Southwestern Zimbabwe. Livest. Res. Rural Dev. 19. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd19/12/ndeb19183.htm. Accessed November 3, 2013.
9 SAS (Statistical Analysis System Institute). 2003. SAS User's Guide: Statistics (Version 6 Ed.). SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.
10 Nienaber, J. A. and G. L. Hahn. 2007. Livestock production system management responses to thermal challenges. Int. J. Biometeorol. 52:149-157.   DOI
11 Nqeno, N., M. Chimonyo, and C. Mapiye. 2011. Farmers' perceptions of the causes of low reproductive performance in cows kept under low-input communal production systems in South Africa. Trop. Anim. Health Prod. 43:315-321.   DOI
12 Rani, Z. T., A. Hugo, and V. Muchenje. 2013. Perceptions of rural consumers on the quality of mutton in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Sci. Res. Essays 8:921-931.
13 Scholtz, M. M., B. Bester, J. M. Mamabolo, and K. A. Ramsay. 2008. Results of the national cattle survey undertaken in South Africa, with emphasis on beef. Appl. Anim. Hus. Rural Dev. 1: 1-9.
14 Lamy, E., S. van Harten, E. Sales-Baptista, M. M. M. Guerra, and A. M. de Almeida. 2012. Factors influencing livestock productivity. In: Environmental Stress and Amelioration in Livestock Production (Eds. V. Sejian, S. M. K. Naqvi, T. Ezeji, J. Lakritza, and R. Lal). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany. pp. 19-51.
15 Lorusso, V., K. Picozzi, B. M. C. de Bronsvoort, A. Majekodunmi, C. Dongkum, G. Balak, A. Igweh, and S. C. Welnurn. 2013. Ixodid ticks of traditionally managed cattle in central Nigeria: Where Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus does not dare (yet?). Parasit. Vectors 6:171.   DOI   ScienceOn
16 Mapiye, C., M. Chimonyo, and K. Dzama. 2009b. Seasonal dynamics, production potential and efficiency of cattle in the sweet and sour communal rangelands in South Africa. J. Arid Environ. 73:529-536.   DOI   ScienceOn
17 Mapiye, C., M. Chimonyo, V. Muchenje, K. Dzama, M. C. Marufu, and J. G. Raats. 2007. Potential for value-addition of Nguni cattle products in the communal areas of South Africa: A review. Afr. J. Agric. Res. 2:488-495.
18 Mapiye, C., M. Chimonyo, K. Dzama, J. G. Raats, and M. Mapekula. 2009a. Opportunities for improving Nguni cattle production in the smallholder farming systems of South Africa. Livest. Sci. 124:196-204.   DOI   ScienceOn
19 Masika, P. J., A. Sonandi, and W. van Averbeke. 1997. Tick control by small-scale cattle farmers in the central Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. 68:45-48.
20 Mapiye, C., M. Chimonyo, K. Dzama, and M. C. Marufu. 2010. Seasonal changes in energy-related blood metabolites and mineral profiles of Nguni and crossbred cattle on communal rangelands in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Asian Australas. J. Anim. Sci. 23:708-718.   과학기술학회마을   DOI
21 Marufu, M. C., M. Chimonyo, C. Mapiye, and K. Dzama. 2011. Tick loads in cattle raised on sweet and sour rangelands in the low-input farming areas of South Africa. Trop. Anim. Health Prod. 43:307-313.   DOI
22 Bernabucci, U., N. Lacetera, L. H. Baumgard, R. P. Rhoads, B. Ronchi, and A. Nardone. 2010. Metabolic and hormonal acclimation to heat stress in domesticated ruminants. Animal 4:1167-1183.   DOI   ScienceOn
23 Chimonyo, M., N. T. Kusina, H. Hamudikuwanda, and O. Nyoni. 1999. A survey on land use and usage of cattle for draught in smallholder farming area of Zimbabwe. J. Appl. Sci S. Afr. 5: 111-121.
24 Kristjanson, P., A. Waters-Bayer, N. Johnson, A. Tipilda, J. Njuki, I. Baltenweck, D. Grace, and S. MacMillan. 2010. Livestock and Women's Livelihoods: A review of the Recent Evidence. Discussion Paper No. 20. ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya.
25 Chunyan, L., Y. Tang, H. Luo, B. Di, and L. Zhang. 2013. Local farmers' perceptions of climate change and local adaptive strategies: A case study from the Middle Tarlung Zangbo River Valley, Tibet, China. Environ. Manage. 52:894-906.   DOI   ScienceOn
26 Covarrubias, K., L. Nsiima, and A. Zezza. 2012. Livestock and livelihoods in rural Tanzania. http://www.africalivestockdata. org/sites/africalivestockdata.org/files/PAP_LIV_TZ_LSMSISA_July_!2.pdf. Accessed November 3, 2013.
27 Enkono, S. G., S. K. Kalundu, and B. Thomas. 2013. Analysis of factors influencing cattle off-take rate and marketing in Ndiyona constituency of Kavango region, Namibia. J. Agric. Ext. Rural Dev. 5:201-206.
28 Fayemi, P. O. and V. Muchenje. 2013. Farmers' perception on ante-mortem welfare of sheep and slaughter indicators in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Sci. Res. Essays 8:1334-1342.
29 Hansen, P. J. 2009. Effects of heat stress on mammalian reproduction. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B. Biol. Sci. 364:3341-3350.   DOI   ScienceOn
30 Ibelli, A. M. G., A. R. B. Ribero, R. Giglioti, L. C. A. Regitano, M. M. Alencar, A. C. S. Chagas, A. L. Paco, H. N. Oliveira, J. M. S. Duarte, and M. C. S. Oliveira. 2012. Resistance of cattle of various genetic groups to the tick Rhipicephalus microplus and the relationship with coat traits. Vet. Parasitol. 186:425-430.   DOI   ScienceOn