Innovative sustainable forage cultivation to enhance buffalo productivity and population in Tana Toraja

Abstract Buffalo livestock plays an important role in the socio-economic system of the Tana Toraja community. The availability of forage throughout the year in terms of quality and quantity is the main problem in increasing the buffalo population in Tana Toraja. Forage availability throughout the year in Tana Toraja can be achieved by adopting a sustainable animal feed crop cultivation pattern. The three-strata system (TSS) or mixed crop planting pattern can be used as a model for feed crops sustainable cultivation patterns for buffalo livestock, as well as food crops. This study aims to evaluate the introduction of quality animal feed crops in a sustainable crop cultivation system. The research was conducted on KUD SANE’s fostered farmers in Tana Toraja. The study used a Group Random Design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates: Treatment 1: TSS with a combination: Food crops (sorghum/corn) + Strata 1 = Benggala Grass, Strata 2 = Biograss Elephant Grass, Strata 3 = Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba; Treatment 2: TSS with a combination: Food crops (sorghum/corn) + Strata 1 = Benggala Grass, Strata 2 = Pakchong Elephant Grass, 3= Calliandra calothyrsus ; Treatment 3: TSS with a combination: Food crops (sorghum/corn) Strata 1 = Benggala Grass, strata 2 = Pakchong Elephant Grass, Strata 3 = Indigofera Legumes and Treatment 4: non-TSS. The variables observed were the morphology of each feed crop in each combination of TSS, nutritional quality, and digestibility of dry and organic matter. The results of the study were obtained from TSS 1, namely a combination of Leucaena leucocephala cv. Tarramba, Biograss Elephant Grass, and Benggala Grass with a total forage biomass production of 156.37 t/ha, while the production of dry matter reached 60.02 t/ha. The highest digestibility of dry and organic matter from Pakchong Elephant Grass was 74.59% and 71.06%, respectively. The advantage of the three strata system (TSS) compared to non-TSS is that integrating legume plants can provide soil fertility due to the contribution of nitrogen from the nodules on the roots. Feed production using TSS can provide sufficient and quality feed according to livestock needs.