Luc Hippolyte Dossa

University of Abomey-Calavi | UAC · Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (FSA)

Enteric methane (eCH4) is a major environmental pollutant emitted by ruminants. To target mitigation measures, it is necessary to accurately estimate GHG emissions from livestock farming. Until now, milk‐producing farms in the peri‐urban areas of South Benin are pasture‐based systems, and have been largely neglected by international research. There...

Rangeland fodder resources used to feed ruminants in the Sahel decline considerably in both quantity and quality from the wet to dry seasons. While it is widely assumed worldwide that this seasonality of fodder supply impacts intake levels and therefore enteric methane (eCH4) emissions, there are very few references based on in vivo measurements of...

This study was conducted to understand the urban small ruminant production system in the peri-urban area of southern Benin and investigate farmers’ feeding strategies in the dry season. One hundred and twenty-five (125) farms were interviewed (survey n°1) in five urbanized municipalities, using a semi-structured questionnaire on their socio-economi...

In Africa, a wide variety of diets (forage + crop co-products orother agricultural by-products) is being used by livestock farm-ers in different production systems to adapt to climatechange. This study aimed to assess the performance of variouslocal feeding strategies on Sudanese Fulani zebu cattle. Twoexperiments were carried out on 10 steers aged...

Several methods have been proposed for in vivo measurement, prediction and mitigation of ruminant enteric methane (eCH4) emissions. Most of these methods are expensive, technically complex and not adapted to the specificities of livestock systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This review aims to analyze the different individual measurement technique...

The demand for small ruminants is increasing, but livestock production is not very market oriented. Understanding buyers' preferences allows breeders to orient their production and make more profit. This research aimed to determine the attributes of small ruminants and other specific factors that explain price variations of small ruminants in ordin...

Face à l’expansion des terres agricoles, aux insuffisances alimentaires et au programme de sédentarisation des élevages, les systèmes d’élevage bovins au Nord Bénin doivent désormais s’adapter à la variabilité spatiale et temporelle des ressources afin d’assurer la sécurité alimentaire de leur cheptel et la diversification des revenus. La présente...

EEnteric methane (eCH4) emitted by ruminant livestock, especially lactating cows, is a major environmental pollutant worldwide. Six pasture-based dairy farm types (FT) were identified in the peri-urban areas of South Benin and characterised as follows: Small-Herds-Zebu cattle (FT1); Small-Herds-Taurine cattle (FT2); Medium-Herds-Zebu cattle (FT3);...

Au nord du Bénin, les élevages bovins font face à des raretés alimentaires et aux conflits dans la gestion des ressources pastorales dont les terres. Ceci a conduit à l’adoption du nouveau code pastoral réglementant cette activité et optant pour la sédentarisation des élevages. L’objectif de l’étude était d’identifier les types d’élevage actuels da...

The productivity of livestock, including small ruminants, in Benin, is very low, and their management practices in terms of feeding, health and reproduction do not ensure their optimal production. This research aimed to assess the willingness of sheep and goat keepers to pay for an improved breeding system. Data collection from 118 sheep and 375 go...

The cows of local breeds raised in the traditional breeding system of Bénin are qualified as poor dairy cows. However, based on the quantities of milk obtained after the milking of these cows, this judgment does not reflect the real performance of the latter, which are rather suckler cows. To be objective, the portion of milk consumed by the calf m...

Cette étude préliminaire avait pour objectif d’évaluer l’effet de la race et d’une complémentation alimentaire sur la santé et les performances de croissance des ovins au Bénin. Pour ce faire, une expérimentation a été conduite de Septembre 2020 à Janvier 2021 sur 17 antenais Djallonké et Métis dans la Ferme d’Elevage de Bétécoucou. Une fois sélect...

La saisie de l'hétérogénéité des systèmes d’élevages est une première étape utile dans l'analyse des performances des exploitations agricoles et des moyens de subsistance des populations rurales. L’objectif de l’étude était de caractériser des systèmes d’élevage suite à la description des pratiques d’élevage des petits ruminants au Bénin. L’étude a...

Improved knowledge of the diversity within and among local animal populations is increasingly necessary for their sustainable management. Accordingly, this study assessed the genetic diversity and structure of the indigenous goat population of Benin. Nine hundred and fifty-four goats were sampled across the three vegetation zones of Benin [i.e., Gu...

Livestock markets are characterised by imperfections, distortions, and efficiency problems that impact livestock marketing. The purpose of this research was to analyse the sheep and goat marketing system in Benin using the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) approach. Primary data were collected from 215 small ruminant traders selected from 21 mark...

Emission de methane enterique en saison seche froide chez les zebus peulh soudaniens en afrique de l'ouest RESUME-En Afrique, les ruminants contribuent fortement aux émissions de gaz à effet de serre comme le méthane entérique (eCH4). Quelques modèles d'estimation de eCH4 ont été développés en zone tropicale. Cependant aucune mesure directe des émi...

Given the challenges of rapid urbanization, population growth, and food security, urban agriculture has gained much importance in African cities within the last decade (FAO 2012). Seen for a long time as an issue linked to poverty and uncontrolled urban growth, local governments now turn to systematically support urban agriculture not only to secur...

In the current context of climate change, genetic characterization of goat genetic resources is fundamental to their sustainable use, and improvement of global goat production. The adoption of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR), with recent genomic tools have stimulated several efforts worldwide to document phenotypic and...

In sub-Saharan Africa, rapid population growth, urbanization, increasing incomes, and changing dietary preferences are the main drivers of the rising demand for livestock products, especially fresh milk and derived products. To meet this demand, there is an increasing number of dairy cattle farms in the densely populated coastal zone of Benin, wher...

This study investigated the genetic variability existing within the indigenous sheep population of Benin. Hair samples from 681 unrelated sheep collected across the 10 phytogeographic zones of Benin were genotyped using a set of 12 microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity indices, Bayesian ancestral admixture model, Self-Organizing Map (SOM), and...

Insufficient knowledge of the genetic and phenotypic diversity in the local Beninese goat population combined with the lack of understanding of its adaptive capacity to ongoing environmental and societal changes hampers the development of strategies for better management and genetic improvement. The objective of this study was to establish the curr...

This study aimed to investigate the genetic patterns underlying productive and adaptive features in West African indigenous cattle breeds. Multi-breed genome-wide association studies for two morphometric traits (height at withers and sacrum height) were performed considering 449 animals from four indigenous cattle breeds (Lagune, Somba, Borgou and...

This paper summarizes the information on the Lagune cattle breed and its production systems in Benin available in peer-reviewed journals, conference papers and research reports covering the period from 1970 to 2020. Lagune cattle are kept in two production systems in Benin: the improved ranching system established at the Governmental farm of Samion...

In West Africa, domestic ruminants, kept mainly in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems, due to their low productivity are major contributors of enteric methane emissions in the agricultural sector. Mitigation has become important for the sustainability of these production systems; however, the Tiers 1 and 2 estimates do not give the actual values of...

In West Africa, domestic ruminants, kept mainly in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems, due to their low productivity are major contributors of enteric methane emissions in the agricultural sector. Mitigation has become important for the sustainability of these production systems; however, the Tiers 1 and 2 estimates do not give the actual values of...

Goats, more popular than cattle in rural Benin, are mainly kept for meat production. Their milk is still unpopular but can provide the much-needed nutrients for children in food-insecure households. This study explored the socio-economic factors affecting the attitude of rural households in the Niger Valley of Benin toward goat milk consumption. Da...

The West African shorthorn Lagune cattle has long been incriminated as of low productivity and subjected to gradual replacement or indiscriminate crossbreeding with zebu breeds. But there are still insufficient studies reporting the productive and reproductive performances of this breed under village conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the pro...

Data for concretely analyzing current trends regarding breed composition of cattle herds at the national scale and the logic behind it are lacking in Benin. This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the dynamics of breed composition in traditional Beninese cattle herds. In this regard, the main reasons for acquiring new breeds by herder...

Cette étude a été entreprise afin de caractériser la diversité des systèmes d’élevage caprin et identifier les principales contraintes et opportunités pour leur durabilité dans les différentes zones agro-écologiques du Bénin. Les données collectées sur 478 troupeaux caprins ruraux élevés dans quatre communes du Bénin ont été soumises à une analyse...

This study investigates the motivations and breeding practices of farmers keeping Dahomey cattle in European countries. Data were collected using a web-based open-closed questionnaire survey targeting 55 farmers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Descriptive analyses revealed that the earliest European Dahomey herds were established in 2005. Mo...

The study evaluated feed resource use efficiency in Taurine and Zebu breeds of cattle raised on natural pasture in a typical West African country where rangeland resources constitute the majority of feed available for cattle in the region.

In sub-Saharan Africa, optimising cattle production is key for the ecological and economic profitability of farms. However, there is a controversy about whether cattle breeds consume more energy and plant protein than they produce for human consumption. To test this claim, we determined feed conversion efficiencies for energy and proteins (Dige-sti...

The Dwarf Lagune and the Savannah Somba cattle in Benin are typical representatives of the endangered West African indigenous Shorthorn taurine. The Lagune was previously exported to African and European countries and bred as Dahomey cattle, whereas the Somba contributed to the formation of two indigenous hybrids known as Borgou and Pabli cattle. T...

In sub-Saharan Africa, optimising cattle production is key for the ecological and economic profitability of farms. However, there is a controversy about whether cattle breeds consume more energy and plant protein than they produce for human consumption. To test this claim, we determined feed conversion efficiencies for energy and proteins (Digestib...

In this technical note, we report the development of a reliable standardized protocol based on the multiplex SSR-PCR approach for genotyping the two small ruminant species, goats and sheep. The method is based on PCR conditions optimization allowing 12 informative microsatellites (SSR) markers to be co-amplified in two multiplex sets of 6 SSR marke...

This study investigated polymorphisms in the milk protein genes CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN1S2, CSN3, LALBA, and LGB, and casein haplotypes in Beninese indigenous cattle. Considering 67 animals, DNA sequencing of the genes’ exons, flanking regions and parts of the 5′-upstream regions identified 1058 genetic variants including 731 previously unknown. In addit...

Knowledge of both the genetic diversity and geographical distribution of animal genetic resources is a prerequisite for their sustainable utilization, improvement and conservation. The present study was undertaken to explore the current morphological variability within the sheep population in Benin as a prelude for their molecular characterization....

The aim of this research was to compare the zootechnical performances of indigenous and Maradi goats reared under village conditions in the Sudanian zone of Benin. A questionnaire survey was carried out between August and October 2019, using the 12MO, a retrospective method for estimating demographic parameters in tropical ruminant livestock popula...

L’étude a eu pour objectif d’évaluer la production de lait de la chèvre de race Alpine au Sud Bénin, et d’estimer l’influence de la parité, du mois de mise bas et du poids post-partum. Les analyses ont été réalisées avec la procédure des modèles linéaires généralisés et ont porté sur 3820 données de lactations collectées chez 13 chèvres pendant 340...

Persistent food insecurity, along with climate change pressures, urges on the definition of suitable strategies to support the transformation of low-input livestock farming in developing countries. Advances in genomics and information technologies are valuable opportunities for achieving the required improvement, but their implementation implies ac...

Worldwide, semiarid rangelands are undergoing rapid degradation due to climate change and variability, demographic pressure, and land conversion, coupled with increase in livestock populations. Major consequences in rangelands include, inter alia, modification in plant species composition, reduction in plant cover, and decrease in forage quantity a...

West African (agro)-pastoralists have been increasingly using extra-household labour for the management of their cattle herds. This paper seeks to identify the factors influencing cattle owners' decision to entrust their animals and to analyse the effects of the entrustment practice on the management and sustainable use of the animal genetic divers...

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunit...

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunit...

In sub-Saharan Africa, pasture is the most used practice in ruminant production, and grazing areas characteristics varied in different environment. To improve ruminants' performances, the quality of forages represents one of the most important factors to keep under control. This study aims to quantify the effects of grazing stocking rate on the nut...

In order to identify the most promising browse species for sustaining goat production, the nutritional characteristics of leaves of trees and shrubs and their use in farmers’ feeding strategies were assessed in sub-humid areas of Benin. Two hundred and forty (240) goat farmers were surveyed and their uses of different leaves of trees and shrubs for...

Analysis of production systems allows scientists to identify their weaknesses, particularly concerning production practices which require improvements at economic, social, and environmental levels. The present study aimed to characterise rabbit farms in the urban and peri-urban areas of South Benin and assess their sustainability using the DIAMOND...

Considering small ruminant farmers perceptions of the constraints induced by climate variability are important for the effectiveness of adaptation actions to be undertaken for ensuring production systems resilience and sustainability. This study aimed at understanding small ruminant farmers’ perception and coping strategies face to the current clim...

In order to understand the use of different feed resources in traditional small ruminant farms, a socio-economic survey was carried out in 640 farms in Benin. Data was collected on the production strategies, feeding practices and feed resources used in the farms. A categorical principal component and two-step cluster analysis were performed on the...

Specific adaptive features including disease resistance and growth abilities in harsh environments are attributed to indigenous cattle breeds of Benin, but these breeds are endangered due to crossbreeding. So far, there is a lack of systematic trait recording, being the basis for breed characterizations, and for structured breeding program designs...

Worldwide, insufficient knowledge of the genetic and phenotypic variabilities within and between local goat populations and of their suitability to diversified production environments hampers the development of programs for their rationale selection, use and management. This study explored the current geographical distribution of goat populations i...

A study was carried out in southern Benin with the aims to understand sheep and goat farmers' resilience strategies face to climate change and urbanization, to assess the sustainability of their production systems and assist them in increasing their animals' performances. Individual interviews were conducted with 125 small ruminant farmers, using a...

The indigenous smallholder Lagune breed and the production systems in which it is embedded in Southern Benin have received very little research or policy attention. Consequently, very little information exists on the diversity of these production systems or on their capacity to adapt to ongoing socioeconomic and environmental changes. This study ai...

In the African livestock breeding context, routine data recording systems for performance traits especially body weight rarely exist. In contrast, morphometric traits are more easily measurable and often correlated to performance traits. They are therefore potential indicator traits for novel breeding and conservation strategies in the large but po...

Feed intake on pastures plays a vital role in cattle rearing in West Africa. However, the scarcity of pastures during the dry season may result in changing grazing behaviour by cattle. Therefore, we studied the management practices of transhumant herders on communal rangelands through monitoring of cattle herds’ behaviour in southern Benin. We expe...

The indigenous cattle population of Benin is a diverse mix of taurine and hybrid breeds shaped by diverse ecological and climatic conditions with eight agro-ecological zones (AEZ). Presumably, the taurine breeds face current endangerment due to ongoing indicine introgression following climate change and transbound-ary transhumance. The aim of the s...

For centuries, the humid West African coastal country of Benin attracts cattle herders from neighboring Sahelian countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Each year, several thousands of cattle are trekked over hundreds of kilometers to Benin following established and non-established transhumance corridors. This cross-border mobility has b...

This study explored the potential role of agro-ecology in shaping the morphology of Lagune cattle population of Benin. A total of 708 adult Lagune cattle were sampled randomly from nine provenances in two agro-ecological zones (AEZs) and were assessed for eight qualitative and twelve linear body measurements. Data were analyzed using generalized li...

L’élevage de petits ruminants est une activité essentielle pour de nombreux ménages béninois. Multidisciplinaire, ce projet renforce les capacités des productrices et producteurs, en s’appuyant sur la recherche, des démonstrations en fermes et champs-écoles et d’autres approches participatives.

This paper analyses cattle demand in Benin by including the characteristics of buyers and the attributes of cattle. Data were collected based on revealed preference approach on 347 real cattle transactions on 14 real cattle markets from 68 cattle buyers. Cattle demand functions, respectively the yearly number of cattle and the yearly total cattle l...

Good knowledge of tropical animal species requirements is required to improve their productivity. The paper describes voluntary dry matter intakes in growing and fattening rabbits as affected by tropical climate. This study aims at determining the levels of concentrate feed consumed alone or in association with fodder. Thus, two commercial concentr...

A longitudinal study was conducted in the built-up area of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) to assess the resource use efficiency in zero-grazing beef cattle production enterprises, determine the animals’ liveweight (LW) changes; and evaluate whether the feeding regime was able to meet the animals’ energy requirements for maintenance and growth. Five...

Cross-border seasonal livestock movements in West Africa bring into close contact several cattle breeds. In the coastal countries hosting migrating herders from the Sahel, it often affects the genetic variability and geographical distribution of traditional cattle breeds, through their indiscriminate but also intended crossbreeding with larger-fram...

The study contributed to the debate on livestock-environment interactions and revealed that ecological systems are driven by several factors whereby pastoral transhumance alone has no direct effect on the productivity of studied type of rangeland in Benin.

Do ecological factors shape the genetic structure of the Beninese cattle population? Are the indigenous taurine (Somba and Lagune) and hybrid (Borgou, Pabli-Kerou) breeds in Benin endangered by ongoing indicine introgression? What is the role of transhumance movements in this context? These are critical questions for the development of effective ma...

Introduction. In Benin, the peri-urban area of Cotonou, the biggest city of the Republic, is characterized by multiple and conflicting activity, such as human settlements, infrastructures, farmlands, grazing, fishing, biodiversity conservation and tourism [1]. In this area, production systems and feeding strategies also varied among seasons. The dr...