Impact of alternative crops on ruminant growth and potential anti-parasitic effects

There is a need to identify alternative crops particularly those that can be used as animal feed ingredients. Our collaborators at Crops for the Future Research (CFFR) in Malaysia are investigating plant species that are considered to be underutilised. However, these crops have a relatively low nutrient quality compared to standard feed ingredients like soya. They also contain a range of anti-nutritional factors and other phytochemicals such as tannins, which have been demonstrated to have inhibitory effects against parasites. Our hypothesis is that ruminant species can effectively use these alternative crops as a nutrient source but also as an anti-parasitic agent, due to their phytonutrient content, which has potential protective effects against worm infection.
We first aim to identify the range of anti-nutrients present in alternative crops such as Bambara ground nut (Vigna subterranean). We will then examine the effects of these on parasitic worms such as, Haemonchus contortus which is attributable to the highest economical losses in ruminants. Ultimately we will seek to examine the growth capacity of sheep when their feed is substituted with alternative crops. And whether these alternative crops have any impact on the growth and reproductive ability of a key parasite infection of ruminants.