Grade 9 Agriculture & Nutrition Study Notes

Welcome to Strand 1 — Conservation of Resources

Every farm, every household, and every community depends on resources — animal feed, food, land, water, and energy. These resources are not endless. Drought, waste, and poor planning can cause them to run out.

This strand teaches you how to protect and make the most of these resources so they are available when needed.

What this strand covers

• Conserving Animal Feed: Hay — preserving grass and plant material so livestock have feed during dry seasons.
• Conserving Leftover Foods — safely storing and re-using cooked food that was not fully eaten.
• Integrated Farming — combining crops, animals, fish, and trees on one farm so each part supports the others.

What Is Forage?

Forage is plant material — mainly plant leaves and stems — eaten by some domestic animals. Forage includes grasses, legumes, or a mixture of both.

How animals use forage

• Animals may eat it directly by grazing in the field.
• Or the forage is harvested at a certain stage and brought to the animals to eat.

What Is Hay?

Hay is forage that has been dried so it can be safely stored for a long time without going mouldy or rotting.

Hay making is the process of drying forage for long-term storage. It involves three steps:

1. Cutting the forage.
2. Spreading the cut forage to dry faster.
3. Windrowing — putting the drying forage into rows for easier collection.

Why Is Hay Important as Animal Feed?

Drought is a period of prolonged dry weather. It reduces both the quantity and the quality of forage in the field. During drought, animals cannot get enough feed by grazing.

Hay is important because:

• It provides feed for animals when fresh forage is not available during dry seasons.
• It reduces the risk of losing domestic animals due to lack of feed during dry seasons.
• It can be made from locally available materials — such as maize stovers, rice straws, and lucerne — at low cost.
• Surplus hay can be sold, generating income for the household.

Methods of Conserving Forage

Forage can be conserved as hay using three methods. Each method suits different farmers, resources, and situations.

Knowing how to conserve forage matters because drought can reduce or destroy the fresh forage available for animals. Without stored hay, livestock are at risk of starvation during dry seasons.

Baling Hay

Baling hay is the process of drying forage so it can safely be stored for a long time. It involves cutting the forage, spreading it to dry, and windrowing it for easier collection. The dried hay is then pressed into compact bundles called bales. Bales must be stored in a dry place under shade to prevent spoilage.

Standing Forage

Standing forage (or standing hay) is forage that is left uncut and ungrazed in the field, to be used during dry periods. The farmer keeps animals away from this section during the rainy season and allows them to graze on it when the dry season arrives.

This is the cheapest, easiest, and most commonly used method of forage conservation. It requires no tools, no materials, and no extra labour.

Stacking Hay

Stacking hay is the piling of dried forage in a heap. Materials such as maize stovers or wheat straws are cut, dried, and piled on a raised surface. The forage must be kept in a well-sheltered place to prevent damage from rainwater and sunlight.

What are maize stovers?

Maize stovers are the dried stalks, leaves, and husks remaining on the maize plant after the cobs have been harvested. They are a common locally available material used in hay stacking.

Baled Hay as a Conservation Method

Baling is a method of hay conservation in which dried forage is pressed into compact bundles called bales and tied securely with sisal twine. Compact bales are easy to store, easy to transport, and well protected from spoilage when kept dry and under shade.

Steps to make baled hay

1. Cut the grass at the flowering stage when it has high vegetative growth, using a sickle.
2. Spread the cut grass to dry for 2 to 3 days using a rake. The dried grass is now called hay.
3. Place 2 lengths of sisal twine inside the baling box, positioned to wrap around the finished bale.
4. Put hay into the box and press it down tightly.
5. Tie the hay securely with the sisal twine.
6. Remove the baled hay from the box.
7. Repeat until all intended dry grass is baled.
8. Store bales in a dry place under shade to prevent spoilage.

Standing Forage as a Conservation Method

Standing forage (or standing hay) is forage that is left uncut and ungrazed in the field, to be used during dry periods. Animals are kept away from this section during the rainy season. When the dry season arrives and fresh grass is scarce, animals are allowed to graze on it.

This is the cheapest, easiest, and most commonly used method of forage conservation — it requires no cutting tools, no materials, and no extra labour.

The process — three steps

1. Identify a suitable section of the field with good grass growth during the rainy season.
2. Keep animals away — fence the section off or prevent grazing on it throughout the rainy season.
3. Allow animals to graze on it when fresh grass becomes scarce in the dry season.