Olorunnisomo, 2007. Livest. Res. Rural Dev., 19 (6)

This study examined the costs and benefits of sweet potato (SP) production (with or without tillage and fertilizer application) for livestock feeding in the southwest of Nigeria. Feed cost and live weight gain from West African dwarf sheep fed different mixtures of SP forage and roots were also examined.

Although tillage and fertilizer application raised the cost of producing SP forage and root, the increased yield obtained when these treatments were applied more than compensated for the increased cost. A combination of both practices maximized returns from SP cultivation than when either was applied alone. When the forage or roots were used for livestock feeding, production costs increased, however when both components were incorporated into livestock feeds, production costs reduced drastically.

Mixing SP forage and root in equal proportions (DM basis) improved nutrient utilization, reduced cost of live weight gain and maximized economic returns from sweet potato cultivation for sheep in the southwest of Nigeria.