Philippine Grasslands: Liveweight Gains in Cattle and Buffaloes, with and Without Introduced Legumes

Grassland in the Philippines have been reduced from 11% of the total land area to 6% over the past few decades, mainly due to the conversion of these ecosystems into cropland, including pasturage. Because the soils are poor in nutrients, the introduction of legumes has been used for pasture improvement. The liveweight gains of cattle and buffaloes are different in various regions of the Philippines, and depend on both the rainfall of the region and the introduced legume. In some areas gains of livestock on improved pastures were up to 3 times that on native pastures.