Can hydroponic fodder be used to fill the seasonal fodder gap for pastoral livestock in Namaqualand, South Africa?

Abstract

Livestock production in Namaqualand’s semi-arid rangelands is constrained by seasonal fluctuations in forage quality and water scarcity. This study evaluates (1) the seasonal nutrient changes of available natural veld forages and their capacity to sustain livestock across different rainfall regions, and (2) the potential of hydroponically grown barley fodder as a supplemental feed resource. Forage samples from Steinkopf communal rangelands revealed significant (p < 0.05) seasonal decline in crude protein concentration (13.9% to 5.8%) from the wet season to the dry season, with energy concentrations insufficient for livestock requirements. Concurrently, hydroponic trials using four water sources (borehole, municipal, distilled, and nutrient solution) demonstrated that barley fodder produced a high protein content (14.2%–18.8%) but with a limited energy value. While hydroponic fodder cannot fully replace natural forage, it effectively mitigates dry-season protein deficiencies. Strategic integration of hydroponics with mineral supplementation is recommended to enhance livestock productivity, especially in water-limited agropastoral systems.