Optimisation du pâturage des ovins sur chaumes en agriculture de conservation

Abstract

In the cereal-sheep belt in North African Countries, stubble represent an important feeding resource for livestock during summer when other crops are impossible to grow under rain-fed conditions. However, a conflict exists between mulch for covering soil when promoting CA practices and the use for grazing. Therefore, trade-offs between the use of stubbles for livestock feeding and to cover the soil have to be resolved, particularly in drylands where fodder potential is low (FAO, 2006). In Tunisia, experiments were conducted under the IFAD funded CLCA Project (Phase 1 & 2) to optimize crop residue management and livestock grazing under CA systems testing the 30/30 stubble grazing model. Results confirm that sheep could be easily integrated in conservation agriculture cropping concept. These practices allowed to keep higher amounts of stubble. residual biomass at a stocking rate of 30 ewes/ha and a grazing period going until 30 days than the conventional ones. Also, animal conserve their body conditions and normal metabolic profiles.