China's population accounts for about 22 per cent of the world's total population, but the country has only seven per cent of global farmland. In order to ensure a sufficient food supply to feed its population, the Chinese government has explored the use of non-traditional feed resources. This publication looks at China's national programme (APCR) to establish an animal production system based on the use of crop residues such as wheat and rice straw, abundant and widely spread fodder resources, rather than using the grain supply. Over the last decade, this programme has been expanded to cover the rearing of beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats and buffalo; and has been regarded as the turning point to resolve the nation's feed problem.

The potential contribution of crop residues to ruminant feeding in the four agro-ecological zones distinguished in Burkina Faso was estimated, applying the Java Program developed at the Animal Production Systems Group of Wageningen University (Chapter 2). The number of animals that can be fed and their production were estimated on the basis of availability and quality (digestibility and N content) of crop residues (cereal stovers and legume haulms).

Livestock Play An Important Role In Human Society. Demand For Meat And Milk Is Soaring, And The World S Livestock Sector Is Growing At An Unprecedented Rate. The Greatest Constraint To Livestock Productivity Is The Shortage Of Feeds And Forages. Some Countries Import Cereal Grains In An Effort To Increase Livestock Production Meet The Ever-Increasing Demand For Animal Products. Higher Livestock Productivity, However, Should Be Sought Through Better Use Of Locally Available Feed Resources. Crop Residues, Agro-Industrial By-Products And Animal Wastes, Which Are Available In Appreciable Quantities, Can Play A Significant Role In The Nutrition Of Ruminants. The Purpose Of This Book Is To Assist Researchers In Developing Countries, To Develop Livestock Feeding Systems Based On The Available Resources Which Are Mainly Crop Residues, Dry And/Or Mature Pasutres And Agro-Industrial By-Products. It Will Be Of Great Interest To Research Scientists, Extension Workers, Students, Farmers And Agricultural Managers. Contents Chapter 1: Potentials Of Crop Residues As Animal Feed; Chapter 2: Crop Residues And Agro-Industrial By-Products; Chapter 3: Nutritive Value Of Crop Residues; Chapter 4: Upgradation Of Crop Residues; Chapter 5: Ensiling Crop Residues; Chapter 6: Ammoniation Of Crop Residues; Chapter 7: Utilisation Of Crop Residues Agro-Industrial By-Products; Chapter 8: Safe Use Of Plant And Animal By-Products; Chapter 9: Crop Residues As Feed Resources In Crop/Livestock Farming Systems; Chapter 10: Crop Residues And Agro-Industrial By-Products In Developing Countries; Chapter 11: Organic Crop Production.

Crop residues are valuable resources since they form a bulk of ruminant feed in many tropical countries. Due to lack of effective management of these resources, unfortunately they are being burnt in some countries, causing environmental pollution. The present paper discusses a technology based on the formation of a complete diet in the form of densified feed blocks or pellets from straws mixed with minerals, oil seed cakes and other agroindustrial by-products. The methods for preparation of such total mixed rations, their use and impact have been presented. It is hoped that this technology will enhance income of farmers, decrease environmental pollution and help alleviate shortage of good quality feeds in tropical countries.

Technological constraints and opportunities in relation to class of livestock and production objectives; Trhe influence of socioeconomic factors on the availability and utilization of crop residues as animal feeds; Crop residues in Tropical Africa: trends in supply, demand and use; Cowpea and its improvement: key to sustainable mixed crop/livestock farming systems in West Africa; Dynamics of feed resources in mixed farming systems in Southeast, South Asia; West/Central Asia-North Africaand Latin America; Crop residues as a strategic resource in mixed farming systems; Alternatives to crop residues as feed resource in mixed farming systems; Alternatives to crop residues for soil amendment; Crop residues for feeding animals in Asia: technology development and adoption in crop/livestock systems; The national perspective: a synthesis of country reports presented at the Workshop.