This product is a Phd Thesis who objectives were:


(1) to determine the mineral status in the soil-herbage-animal system involving indigenous cattle in two smallholder farming areas (one in a semi arid climatic region and the other in a relatively wet climatic region),


(2) to establish the effect of year and season, year and stage of maturity and year, season, and age of animal, on mineral status of soils, plants and cattle, respectively,


(3) to compare the mineral levels between hand-cut and oesophageal extrusa samples,


(4) to establish the relationship (correlation coefficients) of mineral concentrations between (a) soils and herbage (oesophageal extrusa samples), (b) soil and animals, (c) herbage (oesophageal extrusa samples) and faecal samples, and (d) oesophageal extrusa samples and plasma samples.


The objective of the animal response trial was to assess the effect of phosphorus supplementation on the daily weight gains of phosphorus deficient young steers.