A systems approach to comparing indigenous and scientific knowledge: consistency and discriminatory power of indigenous and laboratory assessment of the nutritive value of tree fodder

In recent years, the assumption in agricultural R&D that scientific knowledge can and should displace local knowledge and practice has been challenged by an emerging view of local knowledge as a key component of an agricultural system. This paper describes a study of the discriminatory powers of assessment by farmers and by laboratory techniques, of the nutritive value of tree fodder found in the middle hills of Nepal. The two systems of nutritive value assessment for tree fodder are described and evaluated through detailed investigation of eight types of tree fodder tone leguminous and seven non-leguminous), used to supplement crop residue-based diets for cattle during the dry season. Both systems are shown to provide means of discriminating fodder sources in terms of their nutritive value that are comparable in terms-of discriminatory power and consistency. This research suggests that laboratory assessment of the feed quality of tropical tree fodder may be used to build on and enhance rather than replace local classification. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.