Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31342453›Full record

ArticleTropical animal health and production2020

Mitigating the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe.

Alphonce Matope, Titus J Zindove, Marshall Dhliwayo, Michael Chimonyo

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In one paragraph

Article in Tropical animal health and production, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Alphonce MatopeDepartment of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Bindura University of Science Education, Private Bag, 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
Titus J ZindoveCollege of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Fiji National University, PO Box 7222, Suva, Fiji. zindovetj@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5358-5995
Marshall DhliwayoDepartment of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Bindura University of Science Education, Private Bag, 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
Michael ChimonyoAnimal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.

Funding

Research and Post Graduate Centre, Bindura University of Science Education RBGA/07/2016
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine strategies employed by farmers to mitigate the effects of drought on cattle production in communal rangelands of Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a total of 316 communal cattle farming households selected from semi-arid and sub-humid environments (158 each) using structured questionnaires. Farmers in sub-humid environments mostly resorted to controlled migration in search of pastures during drought whilst those in semi-arid environments mainly supplemented their cattle (P < 0.05). Travelling long distances to centralized water tanks was ranked first as a strategy to counter water shortage in sub-humid environments whilst in semi-arid environments farmers mostly resorted to use of boreholes (P < 0.05). Farmers in sub-humid environments were more than twice more likely to supplement their cattle than those in semi-arid environments (P < 0.05). Crop residues were the main type of feed used to supplement cattle during drought periods (P > 0.05). Mashona cattle were the most preferred breed (P > 0.05). Conformation traits were less preferred in both environments (P < 0.05). It was concluded that communal cattle producers in both environments use dietary supplementation with crop residues and controlled migration in search of pastures and water to mitigate drought effects. Given the shortcomings associated with drought mitigation strategies being used by communal cattle farmers, current findings suggest the need to design and implement sustainable strategies such as breeding cattle for drought resilience and selective supplementary feeding.

Indexed as

CattleDroughtsAdultAgricultureAnimal HusbandryAnimalsDietary SupplementsFamily CharacteristicsFarmersFemaleHeat-Shock ResponseHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesWaterZimbabweWaterCattleDroughtMitigationNatural rangelandsSemi-arid environmentsSub-humid environments

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.