Livestock production by smallholder farmers in southern Africa is often constrained by insufficient fodder during the dry season. The aim of this study was to determine if inclusion of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) hedgerows in Megathyrsus maximus ‘Gatton’ pastures could improve fodder production and nutritional yields, and to investigate effects of hedgerow cutting height on fodder production (including both browse and herbage). Treatments included three simulated silvopastoral systems with M. maximus planted between hedgerows, and one treatment that was M. maximus pasture alone. Hedgerows were cut at 60 or 90 cm above ground, or were uncut. Over the first two growing seasons, browse and grass fodder was harvested, dried and weighed four times. A portion of the fodder (comprising browse and herbage) was conserved in the second year and samples analysed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents (%) and CP, phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) yields (kg ha⁻¹). Hedgerows decreased cumulative grass biomass by 18.5%, but increased 1.22-fold the cumulative total fodder biomass when hedgerows were cut to 90 cm, compared to no hedgerows. Hedgerows had no effect on conserved grass herbage biomass (2.7 Mg ha⁻¹ on average), but doubled biomass of conserved total fodder (5.0 Mg ha⁻¹ on average) if hedgerows were cut. Cutting hedgerows increased CP, P and Zn yields, and increased CP and ADF contents, compared to not cutting them or not including them, while NDF was unaffected. Cutting hedgerows to 90 cm increased total browse production, compared to cutting to 60 cm. Pigeon pea seed biomass was unaffected by hedgerow cutting height (870 kg ha⁻¹ on average). In conclusion, pigeon pea hedgerows included into grass pastures increase the quantity and quality of total fodder for livestock feed supplementation during the dry season.

南部非洲小农的牲畜生产往往受到旱季饲料不足的限制。本研究的目的是确定在Megathyrsus maximus 'Gatton' 牧场中加入木豆 ( Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.)绿篱是否可以提高饲料产量和营养产量，并研究绿篱切割高度对饲料产量的影响（包括浏览和牧草）。处理包括三种模拟林牧系统，其中M. maximus种植在树篱之间，一种处理是单独的M. maximus牧场。绿篱在离地 60 或 90 厘米处修剪，或未修剪。在前两个生长季节，草料和草料被收获、干燥和称重四次。部分饲料（包括草料和草料）在第二年保存，样品分析了粗蛋白 (CP)、中性洗涤纤维 (NDF) 和酸性洗涤纤维 (ADF) 的含量 (%) 和 CP、磷 (P ) 和锌 (Zn) 产量（kg ha ^-1）。与没有树篱相比，当树篱被切割到 90 厘米时，树篱使累积的草生物量减少了 18.5%，但增加了 1.22 倍的累积总饲料生物量。绿篱对保存的牧草生物量没有影响（平均2.7 Mg ha ^-1），但使保存的总饲料生物量增加了一倍（5.0 Mg ha ^-1平均而言）如果树篱被砍掉了。与不切割或不包括它们相比，切割树篱增加了 CP、P 和 Zn 产量，并增加了 CP 和 ADF 含量，而 NDF 不受影响。与切割到 60 厘米相比，将树篱切割到 90 厘米增加了总浏览量。豌豆种子生物量不受树篱修剪高度（平均870 kg ha ^-1）的影响。总之，草场中的木豆树篱增加了旱季牲畜饲料补充的总饲料数量和质量。