Vines of the sweet potato (Ipomea batatas): A valuable feed supplement for ruminants in small holder systems

Goopy, J.P., Gakige, J., Korir, D., Kvacic, M. and Butterbach-Bahl, K. 2015. Vines of the sweet potato (Ipomea batatas): A valuable feed supplement for ruminants in small holder systems. Paper presented at the Tropentag 2015 Conference on Management of Land Use Systems for Enhanced Food Security—Conflicts, Controversies and Resolutions, Berlin, Germany, 16-18 September 2015.

Availability of suitable feed, and in particular sources of protein-rich food, is a major constraint to increasing the productivity of smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa it is difficult to justify diverting land from growing crops for human consumption. The roots of the sweet potato are a high energy cash crop, and the leaves and vines (SPV), usually treated as rubbish, are high in protein and have been identified as a valuable livestock feed.