KAPASITAS TAMPUNG HIJAUAN PAKAN DALAM AREAL PERKEBUNAN KOPI DAN PADANG RUMPUT ALAM DI KABUPATEN FLORES TIMUR NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

Abstract

ABSTRACT

CARRYING CAPACITY OF FORAGE IN COFFEE FARM AND NATIVE PASTURE AREA AT DISTRICT OF FLORES TIMUR, EAST NUSA TENGGARA. Research was conducted at coffee farm and native pasture area with the objective to measure the production and quality of forage. The research method used was survey method. Primary data were collected at Sub-district of Wulanggitang - District of Flores Timur, particularly in the coffee farm and the native pasture areas. Primary data consisted of production and quality of the native grasses including land fertility -both physical and chemical - in the coffee farm area. On the other hand, secondary data were taken from related institutions cover climate condition and topography. The result showed that potency of forage resources in the Sub-District of Wulanggitang reach 7,664 ton fresh matter/ha for the coffee farm and 6.98 ton fresh matter/ha for the native grasses, respectively. The total production may figure carrying capacity of the coffee farm area is 0.42 UT/ha and 0.38 ST/ha of the native grasses, respectively. In addition, the topography of Wulanggitang Sub-district was about 0 % - > 40 %. Moreover, chemical composition of the forages, mainly crude protein, was 6.95 % in the coffee farm area and 6.65 % in the native pasture area, respectively. It was found that the forages crude protein was very high and available over the livestock minimum needed. Composition of the crude protein was high since the forages are relatively young due to high rainy distribution in a few weeks before taking the sample. However, although the crude composition of the forages in the coffee farm - both quantitatively and qualitatively- was higher than that of the native pasture, its function to support the feed resources was not significant. In conclusion, the potency of the forage resources in those two areas was not support the livestock development especially beef cattle farm at the Sub-district of Wulanggitang when it depends only on the forages of these two areas.

Key words: Forage quality, Stocking rate, Coffee farm, Native pasture, Carrying capacity